Gohan and the Red Pyramid
by LordCaldrin45
Summary: Four months after the events of Gohan and The Lightning Thief, Gohan finds himself in a new pickle while in London. Now, he has to save the world again from a crazy, with the help of Egyptian magicians Carter and Sadie Kane. It's a new adventure, with a new set of gods! The only question left, is can they save the world without killing each other first?
1. A New Story Begins

**Hey guys! Well, here's the newest story in this series! Trust me, it's gonna get way more exciting pretty soon.**

My name is Gohan Son. I'm the son of Goku, a saiyan, one of the last of a once powerful race of alien warriors. I'm also the most powerful being in the universe. Ever since I was little, I've been fighting alongside my dad and his friends, The Z Fighters, to protect my planet, Earth from threats, like beings who would love nothing more to see my world as a pile of rubble.

But during my most daring battle yet, an accident tore me from my home, and brought me to a new Earth, quite different from my own. Here, gods of fiction rule, and monsters exist in all branches of the world. But, there are also heroes here who fight them. Children of the gods and humans who are called demigods. Many of them train at a safe haven known as Camp Half-Blood, where they live at either during the summer or all year. As it turns out, I was fortunate, or it was fate, that I ended up in Camp Half-Blood.

With my new friends Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood, we saved the world from a Olympian Civil War, successfully finding both Zeus' master bolt and Hades' Helm of Darkness. Plus, I got a really cool sword that I named Ascension! Though, we did get betrayed in the process from a jerk called Luke Castellan, who Annabeth seems to have a big crush on. Unfortunately, Luke somehow escaped after the beatdown I put on him, and hasn't been seen since. After that summer ended, we all went our separate ways. Grover went off to go find some god named Pan that's supposed to make the Earth wild again. I hope he doesn't end up as someone's dinner or end up a statue like his uncle. Annabeth went to go live with her estranged family, who she hasn't seen in five years. I hope she doesn't gut somebody, because to be honest, I think she has a temper problem. Not that I would EVER tell her that to her face. She's scary when she's angry.

As for Percy, he went home to his mom, which I assume is a lot better now since she turned his jerk stepdad into a statue with Medusa's head. Man, I wish I could have smashed Gabe into pieces. He's in school right now, but he'll be back when summer starts. As for me? Well, Percy's mom offered to let me stay with them, but I decided that I wanted to explore the world. That was four months ago. And as it turns out, I have a bad habit of getting in trouble. This is the story of how I ended up on another adventure to save the world. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe I should start with how I got myself into that mess in the first place...


	2. A Sibling Reunion, A Strange Day

To say Carter Kane was confused would be an understatement.

He and his father had just flown into Heathrow after a couple of delays. It was a drizzly, cold afternoon. The whole taxi ride into the city, his dad seemed kind of nervous.

Now, Carter's dad is a big guy. You wouldn't think anything could make him nervous. He had dark brown skin like Carter's, piercing brown eyes, a bald head, and a goatee, so he looks like a buff evil scientist. That afternoon he wore his cashmere winter coat and his best brown suit, the one he used for public lectures. Usually he exudes so much confidence that he dominates any room he walks into, but sometimes— like that afternoon—Carter saw another side to him that he didn't really understand. He kept looking over his shoulder like they were being hunted.

"Dad?" Carter said as they were getting off the A-40. "What's wrong?"

"No sign of them," he muttered. Then he must've realized he'd spoken aloud, because he looked at Carter kind of startled. "Nothing, Carter. Everything's fine."

This bothered Carter, because his dad's a terrible liar. He always knew when he was hiding something, but he also knew no amount of pestering would get the truth out of him. He was probably trying to protect him, though from what Carter didn't know. Sometimes he wondered if he had some dark secret in his past, some old enemy following him, maybe; but the idea seemed ridiculous. Dad was just an archaeologist.

The other thing that troubled him: Dad was clutching his workbag. Usually when he does that, it means they're in danger. Like the time gunmen stormed their hotel in Cairo. He had heard shots coming from the lobby and ran downstairs to check on my dad. By the time Carter got there, he was just calmly zipping up his workbag while three unconscious gunmen hung by their feet from the chandelier, their robes falling over their heads so you could see their boxer shorts. Dad claimed not to have witnessed anything, and in the end the police blamed a freak chandelier malfunction.

Anyway, Carter had come to respect the bag. It was their good luck charm. But when his dad kept it close, it meant they were going to need good luck.

They drove through the city center, heading east toward Carter's grandparents' flat. They passed the golden gates of Buckingham Palace, the big stone column in Trafalgar Square.

The taxi let them off at the curb, and his dad asked the driver to wait.

They were halfway up the walk when Dad froze. He turned and looked behind them.

"What?" Carter asked. His father frowned as he glanced up. Carter followed his gaze, but didn't see a thing. He could have sworn that he saw a gold flash in the sky, but when he blinked, it was gone. Then Carter saw the man in the trench coat. He was across the street, leaning against a big dead tree. He was barrel shaped, with skin the color of roasted coffee. His coat and black pinstriped suit looked expensive. He had long braided hair and wore a black fedora pulled down low over his dark round glasses. He reminded me of a jazz musician, the kind my dad would always drag me to see in concert. Even though Carter couldn't see his eyes, he got the impression he was watching them. He might've been an old friend or colleague of Dad's. No matter where they went, Dad was always running into people he knew. But it did seem strange that the guy was waiting here, outside his grandparents'. And he didn't look happy.

"Carter," his dad said, "go on ahead."

"But—"

"Get your sister. I'll meet you back at the taxi."

He crossed the street toward the man in the trench coat, which left Carter with two choices: follow his dad and see what was going on, or do what he was told.

Needless to say, Carter decided on the slightly less dangerous path. He went to retrieve his sister. Before he could even knock, Sadie opened the door. "Late as usual," she said.

She was holding her cat, Muffin, who'd been a

"going away" gift from their Dad six years before. Muffin never seemed to get older or bigger. She had fuzzy yellow-and-black fur like a miniature leopard, alert yellow eyes, and pointy ears that were too tall for her head. A silver Egyptian pendant dangled from her collar. She didn't look anything like a muffin, but Sadie had been little when she named her.

Sadie hadn't changed much either since last summer.

She took after their mom, who was white, so Sadie's skin is much lighter than his. She has straight caramel-colored hair, not exactly blond but not brown, which she usually dyes with streaks of bright colors. That day it had red streaks down the left side. Her eyes are blue. She was chewing gum as usual, dressed for her day out with Dad in battered jeans, a leather jacket, and combat boots, like she was going to a concert and was hoping to stomp on some people. She had headphones dangling around her neck in case they bored her.

"Our plane was late," he told her.

She popped a bubble, rubbed Muffin's head, and tossed the cat inside. "Gran, going out!"

From somewhere in the house, Grandma Faust said something Carter couldn't make out, probably "Don't let them in!"

Sadie closed the door and regarded Carter as if he were a dead mouse her cat had just dragged in. "So, here you are again."

"Yep."

"Come on, then." She sighed. "Let's get on with it."

That's the way she was. No "Hi, how you been the last six months? So glad to see you!" or anything. But that was okay with Carter. When you only see each other twice a year, it's like you're distant cousins rather than siblings. They had absolutely nothing in common except their parents.

They trudged down the steps. He was thinking how she smelled like a combination of old people's house and bubble gum when she stopped so abruptly, Carter ran into her.

"Who's that?" she asked.

Carter had almost forgotten about the dude in the trench coat. He and Carter's dad were standing across the street next to the big tree, having what looked like a serious argument. Dad's back was turned so Carter couldn't see his face, but he gestured with his hands like he does when he's agitated. The other guy scowled and shook his head.

"Dunno," Carter said. "He was there when we pulled up."

"He looks familiar." Sadie frowned like she was trying to remember. "Come on."

"Dad wants us to wait in the cab," Carter said, even though he knew it was no use. Sadie was already on the move.

Instead of going straight across the street, she dashed up the sidewalk for half a block, ducking behind cars, then crossed to the opposite side and crouched under a low stone wall. Then, she started sneaking toward their dad. Carter didn't have much choice but to follow her example, even though it made him feel kind of stupid.

"Six years in England," Carter muttered, "and she thinks she's James Bond."

Sadie swatted him without looking back and kept creeping forward.

A couple more steps and they were right behind the big dead tree. Carter could hear his dad on the other side, saying, "—have to, Amos. You know it's the right thing."

"No," said the other man, who must've been Amos. His voice was deep and even—very insistent. His accent was American. "If I don't stop you, Julius, they will. The Per Ankh is shadowing you."

Sadie turned to Carter and mouthed the words "Per what?"

He shook his head, just as mystified. "Let's get out of here," Carter whispered, because he figured they'd be spotted any minute and get in serious trouble. Sadie, of course, ignored him.

"They don't know the plan," Jullius was saying. "By the time they figure it out—"

"And the children?" Amos asked. The hairs stood up on the back of Carter's neck. "What about them?"

"I've made arrangements to protect them," Julius said.

"Besides, if I don't do this, we're all in danger. Now, back off." He ordered

"I can't, Julius. And this partner of yours, this Doctor Gero? How can you trust him?" Julius looked angry.

"He's been genuine so far, and he has exactly what I've spent so long looking for. I've saved years of work thanks to him!" Amos shook his head.

"You're a fool. You're letting your grief and despair override your common judgment. Some things are best left alone, Amos. Or she died for nothing." To say that was a low sting would be an understatement, for Julius looked livid.

"Then it's a duel you want?" his tone turned deadly serious. "You never could beat me, Amos."

Before Carter could react, Sadie popped up and shouted, "Dad!"

He looked surprised when she tackle-hugged him, but not nearly as surprised as the other guy, Amos. He backed up so quickly, he tripped over his own trench coat.

He'd taken off his glasses. Carter couldn't help thinking that Sadie was right. He did look familiar—like a very distant memory.

"I—I must be going," he said. He straightened his fedora and lumbered down the road.

Their dad watched him go. He kept one arm protectively around Sadie and one hand inside the workbag slung over his shoulder. Finally, when Amos disappeared around the corner, Dad relaxed. He took his hand out of the bag and smiled at Sadie. "Hello, sweetheart."

Sadie pushed away from him and crossed her arms. "Oh, now it's sweetheart, is it? You're late. Visitation Day's nearly over! And what was that about? Who's Amos, and what's the Per Ankh?"

Dad stiffened. He glanced at Carter like he was wondering how much we'd overheard.

"It's nothing," he said, trying to sound upbeat. "I have a wonderful evening planned. Who'd like a private tour of the British Museum?"

Sadie slumped in the back of the taxi between Dad and Carter.

"I can't believe it," she grumbled. "One evening together, and you want to do research."

Dad tried for a smile. "Sweetheart, it'll be fun. The curator of the Egyptian collection personally invited—"

"Right, big surprise." Sadie blew a strand of red- streaked hair out of her face. "Christmas Eve, and we're going to see some moldy old relics from Egypt. Do you ever think about anything else?"

Dad didn't get mad. He never gets mad at Sadie. He just stared out the window at the darkening sky and the rain.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I do."

Whenever Dad got quiet like that and stared off into nowhere, Carter knew he was thinking about their mom. The last few months, it had been happening a lot. Carter would walk into their hotel room and find him with his cell phone in his hands, Mom's picture smiling up at him from the screen—her hair tucked under a headscarf, her blue eyes startlingly bright against the desert backdrop.

Or they'd be at some dig site. Carter would see Dad staring at the horizon, and he knew he was remembering how he'd met her—two young scientists in the Valley of the Kings, on a dig to discover a lost tomb. Dad was an Egyptologist. Mom was an anthropologist looking for ancient DNA. He'd told Carter the story a thousand times. Their taxi snaked its way along the banks of the Thames. Just past Waterloo Bridge, their dad tensed.

"Driver," he said. "Stop here a moment."

The cabbie pulled over on the Victoria Embankment.

"What is it, Dad?" Carter asked.

He got out of the cab like he hadn't heard me. When Sadie and I joined him on the sidewalk, he was staring up at Cleopatra's Needle.

In case you've never seen it: the Needle is an obelisk, not a needle, and it doesn't have anything to do with Cleopatra. Carter guessed the British just thought the name sounded cool when they brought it to London. It's about seventy feet tall, which would've been really impressive back in Ancient Egypt, but on the Thames, with all the tall buildings around, it looks small and sad. You could drive right by it and not even realize you'd just passed something that was a thousand years older than the city of London.

"God." Sadie walked around in a frustrated circle.

"Do we have to stop for every monument?"

My dad stared at the top of the obelisk. "I had to

see it again," he murmured. "Where it happened..."

A freezing wind blew off the river. Carter wanted to get back in the cab, but his dad was really starting to worry him. He'd never seen him so distracted.

"What, Dad?" Carter asked. "What happened here?"

"The last place I saw her." He answered

Sadie stopped pacing. She scowled at Carter uncertainly, then back at Dad. "Hang on. Do you mean Mum?"

Dad brushed Sadie's hair behind her ear, and she was so surprised, she didn't even push him away. Carter felt like the rain had frozen him solid. Mom's death had always been a forbidden subject. Carter knew she'd died in an accident in London. He knew his grandparents blamed his dad. But no one would ever tell us the details. He'd given up asking his dad, partly because it made him so sad, partly because he absolutely refused to tell him anything. "When you're older" was all he would say, which was the most frustrating response ever.

"You're telling us she died here," Carter said. "At Cleopatra's Needle? What happened?" He lowered his head.

"Dad!" Sadie protested. "I go past this every day,

and you mean to say—all this time—and I didn't even know?"

"Do you still have your cat?" Dad asked her, which seemed like a really stupid question.

"Of course I've still got the cat!" she said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"And your amulet?"

Sadie's hand went to her neck. When Carter and Sadie were little, right before Sadie went to live with their grandparents, Dad had given them both Egyptian amulets. Carter's was an Eye of Horus, which was a popular protection symbol in Ancient Egypt. In fact, his dad says the modern pharmacist's symbol is a simplified version of the Eye of Horus, because medicine is supposed to protect you.

Anyway, Carter always wore his amulet under his shirt, but he figured Sadie would've lost hers or thrown it away.

To my surprise, she nodded. "'Course I have it, Dad, but don't change the subject. Gran's always going on about how you caused Mum's death. That's not true, is it?"

They waited. For once, Sadie and Carter wanted exactly the same thing—the truth.

"The night your mother died," my father started, "here at the Needle—"

A sudden flash illuminated the embankment. Carter turned, half blind, and just for a moment he glimpsed two figures: a tall pale man with a forked beard and wearing cream-colored robes, and a coppery-skinned girl in dark blue robes and a headscarf—the kind of clothes he'd seen hundreds of times in Egypt. They were just standing there side by side, not twenty feet away, watching them. Then the light faded. The figures melted into a fuzzy afterimage. When Carter's eyes readjusted to the darkness, they were gone.

"Um..." Sadie said nervously. "Did you just see that?"

"Get in the cab," his dad said, pushing them toward the curb.

"We're out of time." Sadie stomped her floor flat

"Now wait a minute, Dad! I want some OW!" Sadie had whirled right into a kid that was walking by, knocking them both to the ground.

"OW!" Sadie whined as she got up, rubbing her butt. Carter looked at the other kid, who looked less stunned. He seemed to be the same age as Sadie. He was also wearing an orange T-shirt and blue jeans, and a jet-black leather jacket, like a biker's. He also had a fur belt on, and black hair that looked as wild as an African jungle. A few of his things had gotten scattered, like his phone and a black pen.

"Ouch. Are you okay?" The boy asked as he climbed to his feet and started picking his things up. Carter reached for the boy's pen, but yet out a cry of pain the second he touched it. It felt like his finger had plugged into an outlet. Carter's hand was still shaking as the boy quickly picked up his pen.

"Sorry, it does that." Carter looked annoyed.

"That's a messed up pen!" he snapped. Sadie wasn't amused either.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, you wanker?" she snapped. The boy looked annoyed.

"Me. Why don't you? You were the one running around like a nut!" Sadie looked livid

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" thankfully, their dad intervened before things got out of hand.

"I'm sorry for my daughter's behavior. She can have a temper." The boy looked amused.

"Well, she's not the first crazy girl I've ever met." Sadie looked very ready to kill him, but Dad kept a strong arm on her shoulder.

"I'm kinda lost. Any of you guys know where I can get a hot dog?" Sadie gnased her teeth

"This is London, not New York, you moron!" Her dad glared at her.

"You'll find good food up the road. Maybe you can find what you're looking for there." The boy nodded.

"Thanks! I'm Gohan, by the way." With that, the boy continued his way. Sadie spat with rage when he was gone.

"Tourists! They're all idiots!" From that point on, Dad clammed up.

"This isn't the place to talk," he said, glancing behind them. Carter frowned. His dad handled that strangely. He hadn't even asked that boy where his parents were or offered a meal, like he usually would have done. He'd promised the cabbie an extra ten pounds if he got them to the museum in under five minutes, and the cabbie was doing his best.

"Dad," Carter tried, "those people at the river—"

"And the other bloke, Amos," Sadie said. "Are they Egyptian police or something?"

"Look, both of you," Dad said, "I'm going to need your help tonight. I know it's hard, but you have to be patient. I'll explain everything, I promise, after we get to the museum. I'm going to make everything right again."

"What do you mean?" Sadie insisted. "Make what right?"

Dad's expression was more than sad. It was almost guilty. With a chill, Carter thought about what Sadie had said: about our grandparents blaming him for Mom's death. That couldn't be what he was talking about, could it?

The cabbie swerved onto Great Russell Street and screeched to a halt in front of the museum's main gates.

"Just follow my lead," Dad told them. "When we meet the curator, act normal."

Carter was thinking that Sadie never acted normal, but he decided not to say anything.

They climbed out of the cab. He got our luggage while Dad paid the driver with a big wad of cash. Then he did something strange. He threw a handful of small objects into the backseat—they looked like stones, but it was too dark for him to be sure. "Keep driving," he told the cabbie. "Take us to Chelsea."

That made no sense since we were already out of the cab, but the driver sped off. Carter glanced at Dad, then back at the cab, and before it turned the corner and disappeared in the dark, he caught a weird glimpse of three passengers in the backseat: a man and two kids.

"London cabs don't stay empty very long," he said matter-of-factly. "Come along, kids."

He marched off through the wrought iron gates. For a second, Sadie and I hesitated.

"Carter, what is going on?"

He shook my head. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"Well, stay out here in the cold if you want, but I'm not leaving without an explanation." She turned and marched after their dad.

Looking back on it, Carter should've run. He should've dragged Sadie out of there and gotten as far away as possible. Instead he followed her through the gates.

 **Here we go! And now, this is where the story gets interesting...**


	3. An Explosive Visit

The museum was closed and completely dark, but the curator and two security guards were waiting for them on the front steps. A fourth man was there as well, dressed in a simply brown coat, and hat to match. When he took it off, Carter could see that the man had short black hair with silver on the sides. He knew exactly who this was, and so did his father, who smiled and stepped forward, embracing the man, both of whom laughed. Carter narrowed his eyes. It was Dr. Gero. The man had first appeared at a conference in Cairo five months ago, and his father had been friends with the man ever since. They often spent hours by themselves, pouring over files and having secret meetings that Carter wasn't supposed to know about.

"Arnold! Good to see you made it!" the man nodded.

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything. We've worked two hard for this." He whispered back. Over Julius' shoulder, Dr. Gero looked at the two children. And for a brief instant… his eyes glowed red. Like, Voldemort red. It looked like a robot's eyes. But, as fast as it happened, it vanished, and Dr. Gero looked normal as he and Dr. Kane turned to talk to the creator.

"Did that dude's eyes just glow?" Sadie asked. Carter honestly couldn't answer.

"Dr. Kane! Dr. Gero!" The curator was a greasy little dude in a cheap suit. Carter had seen mummies with more hair and better teeth. He shook his dad's hand like he was meeting a rock star.

"Your last paper on Imhotep— brilliant! I don't know how you translated those spells!"

"Im-ho-who?" Sadie muttered to me.

"Imhotep," I said. "High priest, architect. Some say he was a magician. Designed the first step pyramid. You know."

"Don't know," Sadie said. "Don't care. But thanks."

Dad expressed his gratitude to the curator for hosting us on a holiday. Then he put his hand on Carter's shoulder. "Dr. Martin, I'd like you to meet Carter and Sadie."

"Ah! Your son, obviously, and—" The curator looked hesitantly at Sadie. "And this young lady?"

"My daughter," Dad said.

Dr. Martin's stare went temporarily blank, and Gero looked surprised as well.

"So this is Sadie. My my… she's quite… like her mother." Gero said as he looked from Sadie to Carter. That clearly didn't work with them.

Doesn't matter how open-minded or polite people think they are, there's always that moment of confusion that flashes across their faces when they realize Sadie is part of their family. Carter hated it, but over the years he had come to expect it.

The curator regained his smile. "Yes, yes, of course. Right this way, Dr. Kane. Dr. Gero! We're very honored to have the two of you here!"

The security guards locked the doors behind them. They took their luggage, then one of them reached for Dad's workbag.

"Ah, no," Dad said with a tight smile. "I'll keep this one." One of them reached for the silver briefcase Gero had, but the man simply gestured, and the guard stopped immediately.

The guards stayed in the foyer as they followed the curator into the Great Court. It was ominous at night. Dim light from the glass-domed ceiling cast crosshatched shadows across the walls like a giant spiderweb. Their footsteps clicked on the white marble floor.

"So," Dad said, "the stone."

"Yes!" the curator said. "Though I can't imagine what new information you could glean from it. It's been studied to death—our most famous artifact, of course."

"Of course," Gero said. "But you may be surprised. Everything has more than one secret hidden beneath the surface."

"What's he on about now?" Sadie whispered to Carter.

He didn't answer. He had a sneaking suspicion what stone they were talking about, but he couldn't figure out why Dad would drag them out on Christmas Eve to see it, and why Gero was here.

They turned left into the Egyptian wing. The walls were lined with massive statues of the pharaohs and gods, but his dad bypassed them all and went straight for the main attraction in the middle of the room.

"Beautiful," Carter's father murmured. "And it's not a replica?"

"No, no," the curator promised. "We don't always keep the actual stone on display, but for you—this is quite real."

They were staring at a slab of dark gray rock about three feet tall and two feet wide. It sat on a pedestal, encased in a glass box. The flat surface of the stone was chiseled with three distinct bands of writing. The top part was Ancient Egyptian picture writing: hieroglyphics. The middle section...Carter had to rack his brain to remember what his dad called it: Demotic, a kind of writing from the period when the Greeks controlled Egypt and a lot of Greek words got mixed into Egyptian. The last lines were in Greek.

"The Rosetta Stone," Carter said.

"Isn't that a computer program?" Sadie asked.

Carter wanted to tell her how stupid she was, but the

curator cut him off with a nervous laugh. "Young lady, the Rosetta Stone was the key to deciphering hieroglyphics! It was discovered by Napoleon's army in 1799 and—"

"Oh, right," Sadie said. "I remember now."

He knew she was just saying that to shut him up, but his dad wouldn't let it go.

"Sadie," he said, "until this stone was discovered,

regular mortals...er, I mean, no one had been able to read hieroglyphics for centuries. The written language of Egypt had been completely forgotten. Then an Englishman named Thomas Young proved that the Rosetta Stone's three languages all conveyed the same message. A Frenchman named Champollion took up the work and cracked the code of hieroglyphics."

Sadie chewed her gum, unimpressed. "What's it say, then?" Gero sneered.

"Got a mouth, this girl. Where I come from, little girl, children respect their superiors." Sadie simply stuck her lip out.

"Guess we're not from the same place, Doc." Her father frowned, but then Gero let out a roar of laughter.

"Oh, she's a snappy one. Reminds me of a young man back home. Arrogant and disrespectful runt. I've got children myself, but they're much more… obedient." Gero chuckled as he ruffled

"Arnold, please!" Dr. Kane sighed before continuing. "Nothing important. It's basically a thank-you letter from some priests to King Ptolemy V. When it was first carved, the stone was no big deal. But over the centuries...over the centuries it has become a powerful symbol. Perhaps the most important connection between Ancient Egypt and the modern world. I was a fool not to realize its potential sooner."

He'd lost Carter, and apparently the curator too. Dr. Gero was one of the only ones who didn't seem phased.

"Dr. Kane?" he asked. "Are you quite all right?" Dad breathed deeply.

"My apologies, Dr. Martin. I was just...thinking aloud. If I could have the glass removed? And if you could bring me the papers I asked for from your archives."

Dr. Martin nodded. He pressed a code into a small remote control, and the front of the glass box clicked open.

"It will take a few minutes to retrieve the notes," Dr. Martin said. "For anyone else, I would hesitate to grant unguarded access to the stone, as you've requested. I trust you'll be careful."

He glanced at us kids like they were troublemakers.

"We'll be careful," Dad promised.

"You have our word." Dr. Gero smiled.

As soon as Dr. Martin's steps receded, Dad turned to them with a frantic look in his eyes. "Children, this is very important. You have to stay out of this room."

He slipped his workbag off his shoulder and unzipped it just enough to pull out a bike chain and padlock. "Follow Dr. Martin. You'll find his office at the end of the Great Court on the left. There's only one entrance. Once he's inside, wrap this around the door handles and lock it tight. We need to delay him."

"You want us to lock him in?" Sadie asked, suddenly interested.

"Brilliant!"

"Dad," I said, "what's going on?" Dr. Gero looked annoyed.

"Shut your mouth and listen to your father, boy!" Dr. Kane glared at him before looking back at Carter.

"We don't have time for explanations," he said. "This will be our only chance. They're coming."

"Who's coming?" Sadie asked.

He took Sadie by the shoulders. "Sweetheart, I love you. And I'm sorry...I'm sorry for many things, but there's no time now. If this works, I promise I'll make everything better for all of us. Carter, you're my brave man. You have to trust me. Remember, lock up Dr. Martin. Then stay out of this room!"

Chaining the curator's door was easy. But as soon as they'd finished, they looked back the way they'd come and saw blue light streaming from the Egyptian gallery, as if the two scientists had installed a giant glowing aquarium.

Sadie locked eyes with Carter. "Honestly, do you have any idea what he's up to?"

"None," Carter said. "But he's been acting strange lately, especially since that doc showed up. Thinking a lot about Mom. He keeps her picture..."

He didn't want to say more. Fortunately Sadie nodded like she understood.

"What's in his workbag?" she asked.

"I don't know. He told me never to look."

Sadie raised an eyebrow. "And you never did? God, that is so like you, Carter. You're hopeless."

He wanted to defend myself, but just then a tremor

shook the floor.

Startled, Sadie grabbed his arm. "He told us to stay put. I suppose you're going to follow that order too?"

Actually, that order was sounding pretty good to him, but Sadie sprinted down the hall, and after a moment's hesitation, he ran after her.

When they reached the entrance of the Egyptian gallery, we stopped dead in our tracks. Their dad stood in front of the Rosetta Stone with his back to us. Gero stood next to him, his arms crossed behind his back. A blue circle glowed on the floor around him, as if someone had switched on hidden neon tubes in the floor. His dad had thrown off his overcoat. His workbag lay open at his feet, revealing a wooden box about two feet long, painted with Egyptian images.

"What's he holding?" Sadie whispered to Carter. "Is that a boomerang?"

Sure enough, when Dad raised his hand, he was brandishing a curved white stick. It did look like a boomerang. But instead of throwing the stick, he touched it to the Rosetta Stone. Sadie caught her breath. Dad was writing on the stone. Wherever the boomerang made contact, glowing blue lines appeared on the granite. Hieroglyphs. It made no sense. How could he write glowing words with a stick? But the image was bright and clear: ram's horns above a box and an X.

"Open," Sadie murmured. Carter stared at her, because it sounded like she had just translated the word, but that was impossible. He'd been hanging around Dad for years, and even Carter could read only a few hieroglyphs. They are seriously hard to learn.

Dad raised his arms. He chanted: "Wo-seer, i- ei." And two more hieroglyphic symbols burned blue against the surface of the Rosetta Stone.

As stunned as Carter was, he recognized the first symbol. It was the name of the Egyptian god of the dead.

"Wo-seer," Carter whispered. He'd never heard it pronounced that way, but he knew what it meant. "Osiris."

"Osiris, come," Sadie said, as if in a trance. Then her eyes widened. "No!" she shouted. "Dad, no!"

Their father turned in surprise. He started to say, "Children—" but it was too late. In that moment, Gero struck. His father frowned, and looked down to see Gero's fist pushing out cleanly out of his chest. Both Kane siblings were too shocked to say anything.

"Well… this worked out even better then I thought." Gero smiled as his eyes glowed. Then, he reached out and touched the Rosetta Stone.

The ground rumbled. The blue light turned to searing white, and the Rosetta Stone exploded.

Meanwhile…

"MMMMM… hot dog." Gohan smiled as he gobbled down his tenth hot dog, ignoring the shocked stares he was getting from other patrons. Surprisingly, Gohan had been able to find a sports bar that sold American food, and was quite content. A cute waitress gave him a curious look as she refilled his drink.

"You should be home, kid. Where's your family?" she asked. Gohan looked at her.

"Home. They're waiting for me, just a little partying." Gohan lied easily. It was easier that way. He sighed as he gulped the drink. Maybe he should go pay Percy a visit. Or Annabeth. Or maybe just go back to Camp Half-Blood. He felt pretty lonely. Five months. He had been on this Earth over five months, and he was still no closer to getting back home. His fingers traced over the pen in his pocket, which felt reassuringly warm.

"Well, at least it's been a quiet day." Gohan sighed. This was one of the first days that he hadn't had a monster trying to kill him. He wasn't even a demigod, and they still found him. Well, that mean girl from earlier was a bit of a nutjob. Gohan was snapped out of his thoughts by an explosion that send him tumbling to the ground.

"Ouch." Gohan groaned as he staggered to his feet. To say the restaurant was in a panic would say an understatement. He groaned as he wiped Coke from his shirt.

"Seriously? Someone's going to get it!" Gohan snapped as he stepped out of the restaurant, where the streets were in a panic.

"The British Museum just exploded!" a woman screamed as she ran past Gohan. He frowned and turned to see the smoke rising into the sky. He cursed.

"Thanks a lot, Zeus. Silent night, my ass." Gohan muttered as he started to glow, then taking off into the air.

When Carter regained consciousness, the first thing he heard was laughter—horrible, gleeful laughter mixed with the blare of the museum's security alarms.

He felt like he'd just been run over by a tractor. Carter sat up, dazed, and spit a piece of Rosetta Stone out of his mouth. The gallery was in ruins. Waves of fire rippled in pools along the floor. Giant statues had toppled. Sarcophagi had been knocked off their pedestals. Pieces of the Rosetta Stone had exploded

outward with such force that they'd embedded themselves in the columns, the walls, the other exhibits.

Sadie was passed out next to him, but she looked unharmed. He shook her shoulder, and she grunted. "Ugh."

In front of them, where the Rosetta Stone had been, stood a smoking, sheared-off pedestal. The floor was blackened in a starburst pattern, except for the glowing blue circle around their father and Dr. Gero. He looked amused, facing the rubble with a smile.

"Well, that was certainly more explosive than I thought." He spoke in a much deeper voice than before. He didn't seem injured or even that fazed as he dusted himself off.

Their father was facing their direction, but he didn't seem to be looking at them. A bloody cut ran across his scalp, and he was on his knees. He gripped the boomerang tightly with one hand, and his chest with the other, which was bleeding profusely.

Carter didn't understand what he was looking at. All he knew was that his father was badly hurt, and likely needed to go to a hospital. Then the horrible laughter echoed around the room again, and he realized it was coming from right in front of him.

Something stood between their father and us. At first, he could barely make it out—just a flicker of heat. But as Carter concentrated, it took on a vague form—the fiery outline of a man. Gero looked amused as he raised his hand.

He was taller than Dad, and his laugh cut through him like a chainsaw.

"Well done," he said to my father. "Very well done, Julius."

"You were not summoned!" My father's voice trembled. He held up the boomerang, but Gero flicked one finger, and the stick flew from Dad's hand, shattering against the wall.

"That was me, I'm afraid. I told you I had my own goals, Julius." Gero chuckled. The fire man laughed.

"I am never summoned, Julius," the man purred. "But when you open a door, you must be prepared for guests to walk through."

"Back to the Duat!" their father roared. "I have the power of the Great King!" Then, he groaned as he spat out blood.

"Oh, scary," the fiery man said with amusement. "And even if you knew how to use that power, which you do not, he was never my match. I am the strongest. Now you will share his fate."

Carter tried to stumble to his feet, but his Dad shot him a silent look of warning: Get out. He realized he was intentionally keeping Gero and the fiery man's back to them, hoping Sadie and Carter would escape unnoticed.

Sadie was still groggy. Carter managed to drag her behind a column, into the shadows. When she started to protest, he clamped my hand over her mouth. That woke her up. She saw what was happening and stopped fighting. Gero looked different now. His entire body seemed to shimmer as he faced the fiery man.

"So, the great god of Chaos. We meet at last." Gero smiled. The fiery man grumbled.

"You're a powerful one. No wonder I couldn't take you! You're not from around here, are you?" Gero laughed.

"Very far, you might say. I come from another world. And you will serve me." The fiery man paused before roaring with laughter. Gero simply raised his hand and thrust it forward, causing the man of fire to roar in rage as he stumbled back. Gero's hand glowed yellow as he laughed. His eyes glowed red as sparks danced around him.

Alarms blared. Fire circled around the doorways of the gallery. The guards had to be on their way, but Carter wasn't sure if that was a good thing for them. Plus, he doubted that they could do anything against this… man.

Dad crouched to the floor, keeping his eyes on his enemy, and opened his painted wooden box. He brought out a small rod like a ruler. He muttered something under his breath and the rod elongated into a wooden staff as tall as he was.

Sadie made a squeaking sound. Carter couldn't believe my eyes either, but things only got weirder.

Dad threw his staff at the fiery man's feet, and it changed into an enormous serpent—ten feet long and as big around as Carter was—with coppery scales and glowing red eyes. It lunged at Gero, who effortlessly leaped out of the way. Carter gaped as the doctor floated in the air with a bored expression on his face. Then, the snake leaped into the air and wrapped around the doctor, who shimmered again.

"This… is the best you can do?" Then, Gero roared as he muscles flexed. Then, he thrust his arms out, shattering the snake into pieces, which dissolved into dust. He gently floated onto the floor with a bored look on his face.

"An old trick, Julius," the fiery man chided.

Their dad glanced at Carter and Sadie, silently urging them again to run. Part of him refused to believe any of this was real.

Next to him, Sadie picked up a chunk of stone.

"How many?" their dad asked quickly, trying to keep the fiery man's attention. "How many did I release?"

"Why, all five," the man said, as if explaining something to a child. "You should know we're a package deal, Julius. Soon I'll release even more, and they'll be very grateful. I shall be named king again." Gero chided.

"No, you fool. You will serve me, as will your kin. Together, we will stand against the Greeks and destroy them." Carter had no idea what he was talking about, but Dr. Kane got even more pale.

"The Demon Days," my father said. "They'll stop you before it's too late."

Both Gero and the fiery man laughed. "You think the House can stop me? Those old fools can't even stop arguing among themselves. Now let the story be told anew. And this time you shall never rise!"

The fiery man waved his hand. The blue circle at Dad's feet went dark. Dad grabbed for his toolbox, but it skittered across the floor.

"Good-bye, Osiris," the fiery man said. Gero chuckled as his hand glowed. He gestured at their dad, sending him tumbling across the ground. His dad groaned as steam smoke off his chest.

"You're a fool, Dr. Kane. This was so much more easier than I thought. All I had to do was promise to reunite you with your lost wife, and you jumped. Is that why you avoid Sadie, you fool? Because she looks like what you lost?" his dad grunted with rage.

"It is something you will never understand. Love." Gero shrugged and laughed.

"No, I do understand. Love made you weak. And now, you will suffer the consequences. You may dispose of him now" Gero ordered.

With a flick of the fiery man's hand, he conjured a glowing coffin around their dad. At first it was transparent, but as their father struggled and pounded on its sides, the coffin became more and more solid—a golden Egyptian sarcophagus inlaid with jewels. His dad caught Carter's eyes one last time, and mouthed the word Run! before the coffin sank into the floor, as if the ground had turned to water. Gero chuckled.

"Farewell. And I kept my word. I reunited the good doctor with his wife." the fiery man laughed. Gero chuckled.

"Dad!" Carter screamed.

Sadie threw her stone, which smashed straight into Gero's face. It smashed into pieces, but Gero didn't seem phased in the slightest.

"impressive arm, Miss Kane. Unfortunately, you picked the wrong opponent."

He turned, and for one terrible moment, his face appeared in the flames. What Carter saw made no sense. The face he saw didn't seem human anymore. As they watched, it seemed to morph. He grew even taller, his skin began to pale, and his eyes glowed dark red, with black sparks dancing across his body.

Behind him, heavy footsteps echoed on the marble floor of the Great Court. Voices were barking orders. The security guards, maybe the police—but they'd never get here in time. Then, they grew silent.

The fiery man lunged at us. A few inches from him face, something slammed into his face, causing a massive explosion. The air sparked with electricity. The amulet around his neck grew uncomfortably hot.

"HEY!" Everyone turned to see Gohan standing in the doorway with an annoyed expression on his face. Carter frowned. It was the boy from before. But now he seemed… different. Stronger. Gero looked shocked.

"NO! Not him, not now!" Gero seemed to shrink, ducking behind a statue.

The fiery man hissed, regarding the boy more carefully. "So...it's you." Gohan looked annoyed as he stepped forward, his hands glowing.

"Step away from the crazy cute chick, or you're all in for the worse beatdown in your existence!" the fiery man laughed as he turned to face the boy, flames dancing in his hands.

"Fool! I will show you the true power of a god!" Gohan fired a yellow blast from his hands at the same time the fiery man fired a fireball out of his hands, them colliding in the room. The glowed before shooting out in a massive explosion that knocked Carter and Sadie against a statue. Gohan let out a shocked yell as he stumbled back. Gero snarled as he blew apart the side of the wall. He turned back, his eyes blazing.

"Soon, boy! I will have my revenge! But not yet." Then, he leaped through the hole.

"HEY! Get back here!" Gohan yelled as he leaped after Gero, vanishing into the night.

The building shook again. At the opposite end of the room, part of the wall exploded in a brilliant flash of light. Two people stepped through the gap—the man and the girl they'd seen at the Needle, their robes swirling around them. Both of them held staffs.

The fiery man snarled. He looked at Carter one last time and said, "Soon, boy."

Then the entire room erupted in flames. A blast of heat sucked all the air of out his lungs and he crumpled to the floor.

The last thing Carter could remember, the man with the forked beard and the girl in blue were standing over him. He heard the security guards running and shouting, getting closer. The girl crouched over him and drew a long curved knife from her belt.

"We must act quickly," she told the man.

"Not yet," he said with some reluctance. His thick accent sounded French. "We must be sure before we destroy them. These two and the otherworlders both. They may yet be allies or dangerous enemies."

Carter closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

 **Enjoy that? We'll have a more official meeting next chapter, enjoy!**


	4. First Impressions Are Always Awkward

**THey guys. I'm so sorry this took so long! Between school, my own book, and finals, I never had a chance! But, I'm back on track! Plus, I just saw Civil War. Amazing. I gotta admit, doing a big fight like that airport scene that in this series... man, that would be perfect. Amazing. I would just have to finish assembling Team Gohan and Team Cell... if you've got any suggestions, let me know! Anyway, lets get started!**

To say Gohan was having a bad day would be an understatement. After breaking into the museum and fighting that fiery guy in the museum, he had leaped after the man that had escaped through the wall.

"Get back here!" Gohan yelled as he shot after the man, who sped through the city in a red blur. Gohan frowned as he shot after him, flying like a brilliant yellow blur over streets, as well as bouncing over cars and ricocheting off buildings. He could hear sirens blaring already, and he had

"This is a new one." Gohan thought as he flew through the air. He had seen a lot of mythological monsters on this world, but none that acted like this. Then, the mysterious figure paused on the edge of a river. Gohan smirked as he raced straight towards the mysterious figure.

"HEY!" The man paused and slowly turned to face Gohan. His whole form seemed to shimmer. Then, the man whirled and slammed his fist across Gohan's face. The saiyan stumbled back in pure surprise. The figure raced forward and kneed Gohan in the stomach, and finished up with whirling to Gohan's back, grabbing his tail with his hands. The man then summed it up with swinging Gohan over his head like a hammer, slamming him into the river with a massive splash.

Needless to say, Gohan had not been expecting that. Stunned by both the assault on his tail and the hard slap of the water, he sunk into the black depths. Several moments later, Gohan burst through the surface and took several deep breaths. He groaned as he pulled himself out of the river. He clashed his teeth in frustration as he shivered. And of course, the man was gone.

"I can't believe I fell for that. Like a freaking amateur!" Gohan groaned as his head throbbed. He could already hear sirens getting louder.

"Aw man, Chiron's gonna kill me." Gohan grumbled. So much for his big adventure. Unfortunately, he had bigger things to worry about. Gohan was suddenly aware of a glowing light around him. This itself wasn't unusual, except he wasn't in his Super Saiyan form at the moment. And his aura didn't have glowing symbols dancing around him.

"What the?" Gohan cried in confusion as the symbols grew brighter. Then, he vanished in a bright yellow flash, leaving the street deserted.

Kane was having a pretty bad day as well.

Let's see. The explosion. Rosetta Stone in a billion pieces. Fiery evil bloke. Her dad boxed in a coffin. The psycho Dr. Gero. That weird boy who Sadie really didn't like at all. Creepy Frenchman and Arab girl with the knife. Them passing out. Right.

So when she woke up, the police were rushing about as you might expect. They separated her from her brother. She didn't really mind that part. But they locked her in the curator's office for ages. And yes, they used her bicycle chain to do it. Cretins.

She was shattered, of course. She'd just been knocked out by a fiery whatever-it-was. She'd watched her dad stabbed in the chest, get packed in a sarcophagus and shot through the floor. She tried to tell the police about all that, but did they care? No.

Worst of all: she had a lingering chill, as if someone was pushing ice-cold needles into the back of my neck. It had started when she looked at those blue glowing words Dad had drawn on the Rosetta Stone and she knew what they meant. A family disease, perhaps? Can knowledge of boring Egyptian stuff be hereditary? With her luck, probably.

Long after her gum had gone stale, a policewoman finally retrieved her from the curator's office. She asked me no questions. She just trundled her into a police car and took him home. Even then, she wasn't allowed to explain to Gran and Gramps. The policewoman just tossed her into her room and she waited. And waited.

She didn't like waiting.

She paced the floor. Her room was nothing posh, just an attic space with a window and a bed and a desk. There wasn't much to do. Muffin sniffed her legs and her tail puffed up like a bottlebrush. She hissed and disappeared under the bed.

"Thanks a lot," Sadie muttered.

She opened the door, but the policewoman was standing guard.

"The inspector will be with you in a moment," she told Sadie. "Please stay inside."

She could see downstairs—just a glimpse of Gramps pacing the room, wringing his hands, while Carter and a police inspector talked on the sofa. She couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Could I just use the loo?" She asked the nice officer.

"No." She closed the door in Sadie's face. As if she might rig an explosion in the toilet. Honestly. This night had to be the worse one of her life. She half- expected to wake up and find out it had all been a weird dream. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

She fiddled with the necklace Dad had given her. She'd never been sure what the symbol meant. Carter's was obviously an eye, but her's looked a bit like an angel, or perhaps a killer alien robot.

Why on earth had Dad asked if she still had it? Of course she still had it. It was the only gift he'd ever given her. Well, apart from Muffin.

She frowned as she walked to her desk and opened her upper drawer, pulling out her personal photo of her mother. Her grandparents had a shrine to her mother in the living room, but this one was her's. It was her mother, standing at an archeological site, looking at the camera with a smile. Sadie frowned. It was remarkable how similar they looked to each other. Around her neck was the symbol:

Her dead mother wearing the symbol for life. Nothing could've been sadder. But she smiled at the camera as if she knew a secret. As if her dad and she were sharing a private joke.

Something tugged at the back of her mind. That stocky man in the trench coat who'd been arguing with her Dad across the street—he'd said something about the Per Ankh.

Had he meant ankh as in the symbol for life, and if so, what was a per? She supposed he didn't mean pear as in the fruit.

Sadie had an eerie feeling that if she saw the words Per Ankh written in hieroglyphics, she would know what they meant. She put down the picture of Mum. She picked up a pencil and turned over one of my old homework papers. She wondered what would happen if she tried to draw the words Per Ankh. Would the right design just occur to me?

As Sadie touched pencil to paper, her bedroom door opened. "Miss Kane?"

She whirled and dropped the pencil.

A police inspector stood frowning in her doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Math," she said.

Sadie's ceiling was quite low, so the inspector had to stoop to come in. He wore a lint-colored suit that matched his gray hair and his ashen face. "Now then, Sadie. I'm Chief Inspector Williams. Let's have a chat, shall we? Sit down."

Sadie didn't sit, and neither did he, which must've annoyed him. It's hard to look in charge when you're hunched over like Quasimodo.

"Tell me everything, please," he said, "from the time your father came round to get you."

"I already told the police at the museum."

"Again, if you don't mind." So Sadie told him everything. Why not? His left eyebrow crept higher and higher as she told him the strange bits like the glowing letters and serpent staff, and Gero's weird actions, and the glowing boy.

"Well, Sadie," Inspector Williams said. "You've got quite an imagination."

"I'm not lying, Inspector. And I think your eyebrow is trying to escape."

He tried to look at his own eyebrows, then scowled. "Now, Sadie, I'm sure this is very hard on you. I understand you want to protect your father's reputation. But he's gone now—"

"You mean through the floor in a coffin," Sadie insisted. "He's not dead. Well, I'm not sure. Getting stabbed in the chest by a lunatic didn't help."

Inspector Williams spread his hands. "Sadie, I'm very sorry. But we must find out why he did this act of...well..."

"Act of what?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Your father destroyed priceless artifacts and apparently killed himself in the process. We'd very much like to know why."

Sadie stared at him. "Are you saying my father's a terrorist? Are you mad?"

"We've made calls to some of your father's associates. I understand his behavior had become erratic since your mother's death. He'd become withdrawn and obsessive in his studies, spending more and more time in Egypt—"

"He's a bloody Egyptologist! You should be looking for him, not asking stupid questions! And that psycho Dr. Gero!" the room was silent for a minute.

"Ahhh yes, that. That associate of your father's. That man was not Dr. Gero." Sadie gaped.

"I'm sorry, what?" Inspector Williams looked at the lady inspector, who handed him a laptop. He opened it on the dinner table and turned it so everyone could see. The man on the screen was old. He was wearing a white coat, had long white hair, and a bald head. He looked nothing like the guy Sadie had seen at the museum.

"This is Arnold Gero, a tenure professor of cybernetics and cellular biology at Caltech University. The man who came into the museum with you was not Dr. Gero." He pressed a button on the keyboard, causing the screen to shift to a close up of Gero from the museum. It was zoomed on his face, turned with a curious expression.

"We have checked, but can't find any record of this man. We believe that he may be a member of a terrorist organization. As of this time, he is in the wind. As for this ." Sadie was livid.

"Believe me, that guy was a lunatic! But dad's not a terrorist!"

"Sadie," he said, and she could hear in his voice that he was resisting the urge to strangle her. Strangely, she gets this a lot from adults. "There are extremist groups in Egypt that object to Egyptian artifacts being kept in other countries' museums. These people likely approached your father, like this man. He may be a hired mercenary by one of these organizations. Perhaps in his state, your father became an easy target for him. If you've heard him mention any names—"

Sadie stormed past him to the window. She was so angry she could hardly think. Sadie refused to believe her Dad was dead. No, no, no. And a terrorist? Please. Why did adults have to be so thick? They always say "tell the truth," and when you do, they don't believe you. What's the point? Sadie was starting to wish that she had leaped out the museum like Gero and that weird kid.

Sadie stared down at the dark street. Suddenly that cold tingly feeling got worse than ever. Sadie focused on the dead tree where she'd met Dad earlier. Standing there now, in the dim light of a streetlamp, looking up at her, was the pudgy bloke in the black trench coat and the round glasses and the fedora—the man Dad had called Amos.

Behind her, the inspector cleared his throat. "Sadie, no one blames you for the attack on the museum. We understand you were dragged into this against your will."

Sadie turned from the window. "Against my will? I chained the curator in his office."

The inspector's eyebrow started to creep up again. "Be that as it may, surely you didn't understand what your father and this other man meant to do. Possibly your brother was involved?"

Sadie snorted. "Carter? Please."

"So you are determined to protect him as well. You consider him a proper brother, do you?"

Sadie couldn't believe it. She wanted to smack his face. "What's that supposed to mean? Because he doesn't look like me?"

The inspector blinked. "I only meant—"

"I know what you meant. Of course he's my brother!"

Inspector Williams held up his hands apologetically, but Sadie was still seething, and it was taking a lot of self-control not to claw that inspector's brains out. As much as Carter annoyed her, she hated it when people assumed they weren't related, or looked at her father askance when he said the three of them were a family—like they'd done something wrong. Stupid Dr. Martin at the museum. Inspector Williams. It happened every time she, Dad and Carter were together. Every bloody time.

"I'm sorry, Sadie," the inspector said. "I only want to make sure we separate the innocent from the guilty. It will go much easier for everyone if you cooperate. Any information. Anything your father said. People he might've mentioned."

"Amos," Sadie blurted out, just to see his reaction. "He met a man named Amos."

Inspector Williams sighed. "Sadie, he couldn't have done. Surely you know that. We spoke with Amos not one hour ago, on the phone from his home in New York."

"He isn't in New York!" Sadie insisted. "He's right—"

She glanced out the window and Amos was gone. Bloody typical for this night, it seems. Between exploding rocks, glowing men, and weird boys that throw strange lights from her hand

"That's not possible," Sadie said.

"Exactly," the inspector said. "But he was here!" she exclaimed.

"Who is he? One of Dad's colleagues? How did you know to call him?"

"Really, Sadie. This acting must stop."

"Acting?"

The inspector studied her for a moment, then set his jaw as if he'd made a decision. "We've already had the truth from Carter. I didn't want to upset you, but he told us everything. He understands there's no point protecting your father now. You might as well help us, and there will be no charges against you."

"You shouldn't lie to children!" Sadie yelled, hoping my voice carried all the way downstairs. "Carter would never say a word against Dad, and neither will I!"

The inspector didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed.

He crossed his arms. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Sadie. I'm afraid it's time we went downstairs...to discuss consequences with your grandparents."

To say that everyone looked like a mess would be an understatement. Carter slumped on the sofa, cradling Dad's workbag. Sadie wondered why the police had let him keep it. It should have been evidence or something, but the inspector didn't seem to notice it at all.

Gran and Gramps sat on either side of him, looking quite nervous. The pot of tea and a plate of biscuits sat on the table, but no one was having any. Chief Inspector Williams ordered Sadie into the only free chair. Then he paced in front of the fireplace importantly. Two more police stood by the front door —the woman from earlier and a big bloke who kept eyeing the biscuits.

"Mr. and Mrs. Faust," Inspector Williams said, "I'm afraid we have two uncooperative children."

Gran fidgeted with the trim of her dress. It's hard to believe she's related to Mum. Gran is frail and colorless, like a stick person really, while Mum in the photos always looked so happy and full of life. "They're just children," she managed. "Surely you can't blame them."

"Pah!" Gramps said. "This is ridiculous, Inspector. They aren't responsible!"

Gramps is a former rugby player. He has beefy arms, a belly much too big for his shirt, and eyes sunk deep in his face, as if someone had punched them (well, actually Dad had punched them years ago, but that's another story). Gramps is quite scary looking. Usually people got out of his way, but Inspector Williams didn't seem impressed.

"Mr. Faust," he said, "what do you imagine the morning headlines will read? 'British Museum attacked. Rosetta Stone destroyed.' Your son-in-law —"

"Former son-in-law," Gramps corrected.

"—was most likely vaporized in the explosion, or he ran off, in which case—"

"He didn't run off!" Sadie shouted. "We need to know where he is," the inspector continued. "And the only witnesses, your grandchildren, refuse to tell me the truth."

"We did tell you the truth," Carter said. "Dad isn't dead. He sank through the floor." Sadie nodded at that, although it was possible that he was dead. After all, getting stabbed in the chest tends to kill someone.

Inspector Williams glanced at Gramps, as if to say, There, you see? Then he turned to Carter. "Young man, your father has committed a criminal act. He's left you behind to deal with the consequences—"

"That's not true!" Sadie snapped, her voice trembling with rage. She couldn't believe Dad would intentionally leave them at the mercy of police, of course. But the idea of him abandoning her—well, that's a bit of a sore point.

"Dear, please," Gran told her, "the inspector is only doing his job."

"Badly!" Sadie said. "Let's all have some tea," Gran suggested.

"No!" Carter and Sadie yelled at once, which made her feel bad for Gran, as she practically wilted into the sofa.

"We can charge you," the inspector warned, turning on Sadie. "We can and we will—" He froze. Then he blinked several times, as if he'd forgotten what he was doing.

Gramps frowned. "Er, Inspector?"

"Yes..." Chief Inspector Williams murmured dreamily. He reached in his pocket and took out a little blue booklet—an American passport. He threw it in Carter's lap.

"You're being deported," the inspector announced. "You're to leave the country within twenty- four hours. If we need to question you further, you'll be contacted through the FBI." Carter's mouth fell open. He looked at Sadie, who had an equally confused expression on her face. Even the other police officers looked confused.

"Sir?" the policewoman asked. "Are you sure—"

"Quiet, Linley. The two of you may go." The cops hesitated until Williams made a shooing motion with his hand. Then they left, closing the door behind them.

"Hold on," Carter said. "My father's disappeared, and you want me to leave the country?"

"Your father is either dead or a fugitive, son," the inspector said. "Deportation is the kindest option. It's already been arranged."

"With whom?" Gramps demanded. "Who authorized this?"

"With..." The inspector got that funny blank look again. "With the proper authorities. Believe me, it's better than prison."

Carter looked too devastated to speak, but before Sadie could feel sorry for him, Inspector Williams turned to her. "You, too, miss."

He might as well have hit me with a sledgehammer.

"You're deporting me?" Sadie asked. "I live here!"

"You're an American citizen. And under the circumstances, it's best for you to return home."

"Inspector," Gran said, her voice trembling. "This isn't fair. I can't believe—"

"I'll give you some time to say good-bye," the inspector interrupted. Then he frowned as if baffled by his own actions. "I—I must be going." This made no sense, and the inspector seemed to realize it, but he walked to the front door anyway. When he opened it, Sadie almost jumped out of my chair, because the man in black, Amos, was standing there. He'd lost his trench coat and hat somewhere, but was still wearing the same pinstripe suit and round glasses. His braided hair glittered with gold beads. Sadie thought the inspector would say something, or express surprise, but he didn't even acknowledge Amos. He walked right past him and into the night. Amos came inside and closed the door. Gran and Gramps stood up.

"You," Gramps growled. "I should've known. If I was younger, I would beat you to a pulp."

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Faust," Amos said. He looked at Carter and me as if we were problems to be solved. "It's time we had a talk."

Amos made himself right at home. He flopped onto the sofa and poured himself tea. He munched on a biscuit, which was quite dangerous, because Gran's biscuits are horrid. Gramp's face went bright red. He came up behind Amos and raised his hand as if he were about to smack him, but Amos kept munching his biscuit.

"Please, sit down," he told them.

And they all sat. It was the strangest thing—as if they'd been waiting for his order. Even Gramps dropped his hand and moved round the sofa. He sat next to Amos with a disgusted sigh.

Amos sipped his tea and regarded Sadie with some displeasure. Then he looked at Carter and grunted.

"Terrible timing," he muttered. "But there's no other way. They'll have to come with me."

"Excuse me?" Sadie said. "I'm not going anywhere with some strange man with biscuit on his face!" He did in fact have biscuit crumbs on his face, but he apparently didn't care, as he didn't bother to check.

"I'm no stranger, Sadie," he said. "Don't you remember?"

"No, Amos," Gran said, trembling. "You can't take Sadie. We had an agreement."

"Julius broke that agreement tonight," Amos said. "You know you can't care for Sadie anymore—not after what's happened. Their only chance is to come with me."

"Why should we go anywhere with you?" Carter asked. "You almost got in a fight with Dad!"

Amos looked at the workbag in Carter's lap. "I see you kept your father's bag. That's good. You'll need it. As for getting into fights, Julius and I did that quite a lot. If you didn't notice, Carter, I was trying to stop him from doing something rash. If he'd listened to me, we wouldn't be in this situation. Unfortunately, it seems that that… thing's words were more effective than mine."

Sadie had no idea what he was on about, but Gramps apparently understood.

"You and your superstitions!" he said. "I told you we want none of it."

Amos pointed to the back patio. Through the glass doors, you could see the lights shining on the Thames. It was quite a nice view at night, when you couldn't notice how run-down some of the buildings were.

"Superstition, is it?" Amos asked. "And yet you found a place to live on the east bank of the river."

Gramps turned even redder. "That was Ruby's idea. Thought it would protect us. But she was wrong about many things, wasn't she? She trusted Julius and you, for one!"

Amos looked unfazed. He smelled interesting— like old-timey spices, copal and amber, like the incense shops in Covent Garden.

He finished his tea and looked straight at Gran. "Mrs. Faust, you know what's begun. The police are the least of your worries."

Gran swallowed. "You...you changed that inspector's mind. You made him deport Sadie."

"It was that or see the children arrested. I've taken precautions with… other circumstances as well." Amos said.

"Hang on," Sadie said. "You changed Inspector Williams's mind? How?"

Amos shrugged. "It's not permanent. In fact we should get to New York in the next hour or so before Inspector Williams begins to wonder why he let you go."

Carter laughed incredulously. "You can't get to New York from London in a hour. Not even the fastest plane—"

"No," Amos agreed. "Not a plane." He turned back to Gran as if everything had been settled. "Mrs. Faust, Carter and Sadie have only one safe option. You know that. They'll come to the mansion in Brooklyn. I can protect them there."

"You've got a mansion," Carter said. "In Brooklyn."

Amos gave him an amused smile. "The family mansion. You'll be safe there."

"But our dad—"

"Is beyond your help for now," Amos said sadly. "I'm sorry, Carter. I'll explain later, but Julius would want you to be safe. For that, we must move quickly. I'm afraid I'm all you've got at the moment."

That was a bit harsh, Sadie thought. Carter glanced at Gran and Gramps. Then he nodded glumly. He knew that they didn't want him around. He'd always reminded them of her dad. And yes, it was a stupid reason not to take in your grandson, but there you are.

"Well, Carter can do what he wants," Sadie said. "But I live here. And I'm not going off with some stranger, am I?"

Sadie looked at Gran for support, but she was staring at the lace doilies on the table as if they were suddenly quite interesting.

"Gramps, surely..."

But he wouldn't meet her eyes either. He turned to Amos. "You can get them out of the country?"

"Hang on!" Sadie protested.

Amos stood and wiped the crumbs off his jacket. He walked to the patio doors and stared out at the river. "The police will be back soon. Tell them anything you like. They won't find us."

"You're going to kidnap us?" Sadie asked, stunned. She looked at Carter. "Do you believe this?"

Carter shouldered the workbag. Then he stood like he was ready to go. Possibly he just wanted to be out of Gran and Gramps's flat. "How do you plan to get to New York in an hour?" he asked Amos. "You said, not a plane."

"No," Amos agreed. He put his finger to the window and traced something in the condensation— another bloody hieroglyph.

"A boat," Sadie said.

Amos peered at her over the top of his round glasses. "How did you—"

"I mean that last bit looks like a boat," she blurted out. "But that can't be what you mean. That's ridiculous."

"Look!" Carter cried.

Sadie pressed in next to him at the patio doors. Down at the quayside, a boat was docked. But not a regular boat, mind you. It was an Egyptian reed boat, with two torches burning in the front, and a big rudder in the back. A figure in a black trench coat and hat— possibly Amos's—stood at the tiller.

"We'd better get started," Amos said. Sadie whirled back to my grandmother. "Gran, please!" She brushed a tear from her cheek. "It's for the best, my dear. You should take Muffin." Their grandparents then stood up and left the room, leaving Sadie flabbergasted and her jaw wide open.

"Ah, yes," Amos said. "We can't forget the cat." He turned towards the stairs. As if on cue, Muffin raced down in a leopard-spotted streak and leaped into Sadie's arms. She never does that.

"Who are you?" Sadiie asked Amos

"I'm not a stranger." Amos smiled at her. "I'm family."

And suddenly Sadie remembered his face.

"Uncle Amos?" She asked hazily.

"That's right, Sadie," he said. "I'm Julius's brother. Now come along. We have a long way to go."

So anyway, they followed Amos down to the weird boat docked at the quayside. Carter cradled Dad's workbag under his arm, his mind racing with confusion and guilt.

Amos stepped aboard the reed boat. Sadie jumped right on, but Carter hesitated. She'd seen boats like this on the Nile before, and they never seemed very sturdy. Amos seemed distracted as he muttered to himself

It was basically woven together from coils of plant fiber—like a giant floating rug. At the back, the tiller was manned by a little guy wearing Amos's black trench coat and hat. The hat was shoved down on his head so no one couldn't see his face. His hands and feet were lost in the folds of the coat.

"How does this thing move?" Carter asked Amos. "You've got no sail."

"Trust me." Amos offered him a hand.

The night was cold, but when he stepped on board, he suddenly felt warmer, as if the torchlight were casting a protective glow over them. In the middle of the boat was a hut made from woven mats. From Sadie's arms, Muffin sniffed at it and growled.

"Take a seat inside," Amos suggested. "The trip might be a little rough."

"I'll stand, thanks." Sadie nodded. Amos nodded.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot. We're missing one more person for this voyage." He stated, getting confused looks from Carter and Sadie. Then, Amos raised his wand and chanted in a language that neither Kane could understand. Then, a glowing orb appeared above the boat, which flashed yellow and had Egyptian symbols. Then, a shriek erupted as a boy fell from the orb and landed flat on his face, causing Sadie to winch. Then, the boy groaned as he pulled himself up. Sadie gaped as she pointed at he boy, dropping Muffin without noticing. It was that boy again!

"YOU!" she shrieked. Then, the boy gaped back at her.

"YOU!" he yelled back. Amos let out a loud laugh.

"And now our little group is complete. Sadie and Carter, allow me to introduce Gohan Son." He grinned.

 **Enjoy that? There's more coming, enjoy!**


	5. One Decision Makes All the Difference

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter! I just picked up the new Riordan book, Trials of Apollo, and it's great! I love returning to the world of Percy Jackson, even if Percy and Annabeth aren't in the starring roles this time. Still, it's a great story, and I look forward to the next installment! Anyway, lets get this show back on the road.**

Gohan was extremely confused to say the least. This world seemed to keep doing that to him ever since he had gotten sucked out of his own. Between Camp Half-Blood, demigods, the Underworld, and the gods, he had certainly experienced a lot. This night was no exception, between the man on fire, the exploding rock, and the shimmering guy, it was one hell of a headache. But, things only got strange from there. One minute, he had been shaking water out of his hair. Then, he had vanished in a yellow flash, and then fallen flat on his face to find himself in some freaky boat, surrounded by the strangest group ever. And of course, one of them was that snarky girl from earlier, who was currently screaming at him while her cat was hissing at her feet. And that's where Gohan currently was at the moment. His first instinct was to fly the hell out of there. But, he decided to let his curiosity take point on this one. Besides, these guys didn't look like any monsters he had encountered yet.

"Maybe they're demigods. Would definitely explain the craziness." Gohan thought

"What are you doing here?" she shirked as he pointed at him. The guy next to her had a look of pure confusion on his face as he clutched a big bag, while the large man standing at the head of the boat had an amused look on his face as he watched Sadie continued to yell at Gohan.

"I'm not gonna ask you twice!" Gohan was getting a little pissed off by now.

"Look, Miss Crazy Hair or whatever your name is, I have no idea where I am. One minute, I'm climbing out of a river! A second later, I'm here! Where am I, and who are you people? I'm not gonna ask twice!" Gohan yelled back. Sadie looked horrified and furious at the same time.

"DO NOT INSULT THE HAIR! AND I'M NOT CRAZY!" She shrieked. The cat hissed as she arched at Sadie's feet. Gohan groaned in frustration. This girl was even crazier than Annabeth. Gohan glanced at the guy standing with the baffled expression.

"Ummm… hey, dude? Can you tell your girlfriend to calm down?" Carter gulped while Sadie had a furious expression.

"HE'S MY BROTHER, YOU MORON!" Gohan blinked in confusion as he looked from Carter to Sadie several times.

"Really?" Sadie lost it.

"THAT'S IT!" She screamed. Gohan took a nervous step as he clenched his fists, more than ready for a fight. Thankfully, it didn't get that far.

"ENOUGH!" Amos interrupted with a booming voice as he raised his staff, causing the two of them to freeze. Carter was still standing in the same spot, pretty confused himself.

"I apologize, Mr. Son, for the rough method in collecting you. Unfortunately, time is quite short, and you rushed off earlier. I assure you, we are no threat to you. In truth, we have need of your help." Gohan looked confused. He wasn't the only one.

"You know this idiot?" Sadie snapped. Amos chuckled.

"Only by reputation, but quite an impressive one." Gohan looked baffled.

"Seriously?" he asked. Amos nodded.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Amos Kane. This young lady is my niece, Sadie Kane. And this young man is her brother, Carter. Carter, Sadie, this is Gohan. I believe you already met." Sadie gave Gohan a very dry look.

"Look, who are you guys? You don't seem like..." Amos interrupted with a laugh.

"No, Mr. Son. We are not what you think we are. But I give you my word, all will be explained soon enough. Besides, I hardly think we post a threat to someone like you." Gohan was very wary, to say the least. But, he decided to let his curiosity take hold in this one.

"If this is a trick…" Amos nodded.

"I understand. Take a seat inside," Amos suggested. "The trip might be a little rough."

"I'll stand, thanks." Gohan stated.

Sadie nodded at the little guy in back. "Who's your driver?" Amos acted as if he hadn't heard the question. "Hang on, everyone!" He nodded to the steersman, and the boat lurched forward. The feeling was hard to describe. Gohan groaned. It wasn't the first time he had been teleported, but this was certainly unpleasant.

You know that tingle in the pit of your stomach when you're on a roller coaster and it goes into free fall? It was kind of like that, except they weren't falling, and the feeling didn't go away. The boat moved with astounding speed. The lights of the city blurred, then were swallowed in a thick fog. Strange sounds echoed in the dark: slithering and hissing, distant screams, voices whispering in languages he didn't understand.

The tingling turned to nausea. Then suddenly the boat slowed. The noises stopped, and the fog dissipated. City lights came back, brighter than before. Gohan gaped at a very familiar sight.

Above them loomed a bridge, much taller than any bridge in London. His stomach did a slow roll. To the left, Gohan saw a familiar skyline—the Chrysler Building, and… the Empire State Building. Gohan took a deep gulp. It had been a few months since he had been here, but it was still the same. It looked like a big storm was brewing, with bolts of lightning shooting across the sky every minute or so. But, Gohan knew that there was a storm for another reason. In his pocket, Ascension hummed. Gohan quickly decided it was best to avoid the Gods for now. He had had his fill of gods, to say the least.

"Impossible," Carter said. "That's New York."

Sadie looked as green as Carter felt. She was still cradling Muffin, whose eyes were closed. The cat seemed to be purring, although it was still giving Gohan a nasty look. "It can't be," Sadie said. "We only traveled a few minutes." Gohan almost commented that his father could have done the same thing in seconds, but kept his mouth shut.

They glided to a stop next to a small dock on the Brooklyn side of the river. In front of us was an industrial yard filled with piles of scrap metal and old construction equipment. In the center of it all, right at the water's edge, rose a huge factory warehouse heavily painted with graffiti, the windows boarded up.

"That is not a mansion," Sadie said.

"For once, we agree on something." Gohan added

"Look again." Amos pointed to the top of the building. Not for the first time, Gohan was taken aback.

"How...how did you..." Carter's voice failed him. Gohan wasn't sure why he hadn't seen it before, but now it was obvious: a five-story mansion perched on the roof of the warehouse, like another layer of a cake. "You couldn't build a mansion up there!"

"Did you use the Mist?" Gohan asked curiously. Amos chuckled as he shook his head.

"There's more than one way to conceal oneself, Mr. Son. The truth of this mansion is a long story," Amos said. "But the basic idea was that we needed a private location."

"And is this the east shore?" Sadie asked. "You said something about that in London—my grandparents living on the east shore."

Amos smiled. "Yes. Very good, Sadie. In ancient times, the east bank of the Nile was always the side of the living, the side where the sun rises. The dead were buried west of the river. It was considered bad luck, even dangerous, to live there. The tradition is still strong among...our people."

"Our people?" Carter asked, but Sadie muscled in with another question. "So you can't live in Manhattan?" she asked. Gohan cringed a bit. Amos's brow furrowed as he looked across at the Empire State Building. "Manhattan has other problems. Other gods. It's best we stay separate." Gohan knew exactly what… to be more precise, whom… Amos was referring to.

"Other what?" Sadie demanded. Gohan whistled innocently as he scratched his head. He jumped a little at the loud crack of thunder. Sadie stopped protesting and grinned.

"What's wrong, tough guy? Scared of a little thunder?" she mocked. Gohan patted his pocket nervously, getting a curious look from Carter.

"I'm not exactly on perfect terms with lightning." Gohan said, getting confused looks from Sadie and Carter, while Amos chuckled.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sadie demanded.

"Nothing." Amos walked past them to the steersman. He plucked off the man's hat and coat—and there was no one underneath. The steersman simply wasn't there. Amos put on his fedora, folded his coat over his arm, then waved toward a metal staircase that wound all the way up the side of the warehouse to the mansion on the roof.

"All ashore," he said. "And welcome to the Twenty-first Nome." Gohan was more than a little perplexed, to say the least.

"Gnome?" Sadie asked, as they followed him up the stairs. "Like those little runty guys?" "Heavens, no," Amos said. "I hate gnomes. They smell horrible." "But you said—" "Nome, n-o-m-e. As in a district, a region. The term is from ancient times, when Egypt was divided into forty-two provinces. Today, the system is a little different. We've gone global. The world is divided into three hundred and sixty nomes. Egypt, of course, is the First. Greater New York is the Twenty-first." Gohan may have been a smart kid, but even this was confusing. He wished Annabeth was here. She probably could have explained this in a second.

Sadie glanced at her brother and twirled her finger around her temple. "No, Sadie," Amos said without looking back. "I'm not crazy. There's much you need to learn." They reached the top of the stairs. Looking up at the mansion, it was hard to understand what they were seeing. Even after all his adventures on both this world and his own, the sight before him still had him in awe. The house was at least fifty feet tall, built of enormous limestone blocks and steel-framed windows. There were hieroglyphs engraved around the windows, and the walls were lit up so the place looked like a cross between a modern museum and an ancient temple. But the weirdest thing was that if he glanced away, the whole building seemed to disappear. He tried it several times just to be sure. If Gohan looked for the mansion from the corner of his eye, it wasn't there. He had to force his eyes to refocus on it, and even that took a lot of willpower, even with his improved saiyan senses. Again, he wished that Annabeth was here. She loved architecture, and she probably would have marveled at the sight in front of him.

Amos stopped before the entrance, which was the size of a garage door—a dark heavy square of timber with no visible handle or lock. "Carter, after you." He gestured at Carter

"Um, how do I—"

"How do you think?" Great, another mystery. Sadie was about to suggest that they ram Gohan's head against it and see if that worked. He seemed thick headed enough. Then Carter looked at the door again, and he had the strangest feeling. Carter stretched out his arm. Then, the door followed his movement—sliding upward until it disappeared into the ceiling.

Sadie looked stunned, and she wasn't the only one. "How..."

"I don't know," Carter admitted, a little embarrassed. "Motion sensor, maybe?" "Interesting." Amos sounded a little troubled. "Not the way I would've done it, but very good.

Remarkably good."

"Thanks, I think." Sadie tried to go inside first, but as soon as she stepped on the threshold, Muffin wailed and almost clawed her way out of Sadie's arms.

Sadie stumbled backward. "What was that about, cat?"

"Oh, of course," Amos said. "My apologies." He put his hand on the cat's head and said, very formally, "You may enter."

"The cat needs permission?" Gohan asked, more confused than ever.

"Special circumstances," Amos said, which wasn't much of an explanation, but he walked inside without saying another word. Carter and Sadie followed, and this time Muffin stayed quiet. Gohan stood at the door, contemplating for what seemed like hours for him. He was torn. Half of him wanted to get the hell out of there. This was all still confusing to him. He glanced backwards, at the looming skyline of Manhattan, and the looming Empire State Building, where Olympus hovered high above. He could run. He could fly back to Camp Half-Blood, or even go to Percy's apartment. He had a thousand different options. Then, he looked back at the looming door. He had no idea about any of this. He had no idea what this Amos, Sadie, and Carter wanted. It could be a trap for all he knew. But… in that instant, he realized that he only had one choice.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Gohan sighed. Then, he walked through the door.

 **Enjoy that? There's lots more coming! Keep reading! Plus, I want your opinions! Should I stick to this Earth, or should I try to factor in the Multiverse? Tell me what you think!**


	6. Welcome to the 21st Nome

**Hey guys! Sorry that I've been gone so long, but college summer classes are a serious pain in the ass. Still, I hope you guys enjoy this chap! Enjoy!**

"Wow." Gohan said. That was all he could say as he looked around. And he wasn't the only one.

"Oh my god..." Sadie's jaw dropped. She craned her neck to look at the ceiling, and Carter thought the gum might fall out of her mouth.

"Yes," Amos said. "This is the Great Room."

Gohan could see why he called it that. The cedar-beamed ceiling was four stories high, held up by carved stone pillars engraved with hieroglyphs. A weird assortment of musical instruments and Ancient Egyptian weapons decorated the walls. Three levels of balconies ringed the room, with rows of doors all looking out on the main area. The fireplace was big enough to park a car in, with a plasma-screen TV above the mantel and massive leather sofas on either side. On the floor was a snakeskin rug, except it was forty feet long and fifteen feet wide—bigger than any snake. Outside, through glass walls, he could see the terrace that wrapped around the house. It had a swimming pool, a dining area, and a blazing fire pit. And at the far end of the Great Room was a set of double doors marked with the Eye of Horus, and chained with half a dozen padlocks. Gohan wondered what could possibly be behind them. But the real showstopper was the statue in the center of the Great Room. It was thirty feet tall, made of black marble. The figure had a human body and an animal's head—like a stork or a crane, with a long neck and a really long beak. The god was dressed ancient-style in a kilt, sash, and neck collar. He held a scribe's stylus in one hand, and an open scroll in the other, as if he had just written the hieroglyphs inscribed there: an ankh —the Egyptian looped cross—with a rectangle traced around its top. Gohan could only think one thing as he looked around in awe.

"Annabeth would love this." He thought as he looked around.

"That's it!" Sadie exclaimed. "Per Ankh." Gohan stared at her in confusion. "All right, how you can read that?"

"I don't know," she said. "But it's obvious, isn't it? The top one is shaped like the floor plan of a house."

"How did you get that? It's just a box." Carter stated. The thing was, she was right. Carter recognized the symbol, and it was supposed to be a simplified picture of a house with a doorway, but that wouldn't be obvious to most people, especially people named Sadie. Yet she looked absolutely positive. Unfortunately for Gohan, this stuff was still pretty strange for him. Figuring out Camp Half-Blood had been confusing enough. Now, apparently he had a whole new set of problems to deal with.

"It's a house," she insisted. "And the bottom picture is the ankh, the symbol for life. Per Ankh—the House of Life."

"Very good, Sadie." Amos looked impressed. "And this is a statue of the only god still allowed in the House of Life—at least, normally. Do you recognize him, Carter?"

"Thoth," Carter said. "The god of knowledge. He invented writing."

"Indeed," Amos said. As he usually did, Gohan felt completely out of his element. He had no idea what any of them were talking about, he had never heard

"Why the animal heads?" Sadie asked. "All those Egyptian gods have animal heads. They look so silly."

"They don't normally appear that way," Amos said. "Not in real life."

"Real life?" Carter asked. "Come on. You sound like you've met them in person." Amos's expression didn't reassure him. He looked as if he were remembering something unpleasant. "The gods could appear in many forms—usually fully human or fully animal, but occasionally as a hybrid form like this. They are primal forces, you understand, a sort of bridge between humanity and nature. They are depicted with animal heads to show that they exist in two different worlds at once. Do you understand?"

"Believe it or not, yeah. Gods changing forms? Been there, done that." Gohan stated.

"Not even a little," Sadie said.

"Mmm." Amos didn't sound surprised. "Yes, we have much training to do. At any rate, the god before you, Thoth, founded the House of Life, for which this mansion is the regional headquarters. Or at least...it used to be. I'm the only member left in the Twenty-first Nome. Or I was, until you two came along. Well, three now." He nodded at Gohan.

"Now, hand on a second! I didn't sign up for anything!" Gohan interrupted, but Sadie jumped ahead of him.

"Hang on." she had so many questions she could hardly think where to start.

"What is the House of Life? Why is Thoth the only god allowed here, and why are you—"

"Sadie, I understand how you feel." Amos smiled sympathetically. "But these things are better discussed in daylight. You need to get some sleep, and I don't want you to have nightmares."

"You think I can sleep?"

"Mrow." Muffin stretched in Sadie's arms and let loose a huge yawn. Amos clapped his hands. "Khufu!"

Then a little dude about three feet tall with gold fur and a purple shirt came clambering down the stairs. It was wearing a L.A. Lakers jersey. The baboon did a flip and landed in front of them. He showed off his fangs and made a sound that was half roar, half belch. His breath smelled like nacho-flavored Doritos.

"The Lakers are my home team!" Carter said with a surprised look.

The baboon slapped his head with both hands and belched again. "Oh, Khufu likes you," Amos said. "You'll get along famously." Then, Khufu let out another shriek as he faced Gohan, and pounded his chest. Gohan frowned in confusion as his tail twitched. Then, Khufu started sniffing Gohan's feet.

"What's going on?" Gohan asked with a weirded out expression. Amos chuckled.

"He's curious. He thinks Gohan smells interesting." Amos commented

"Is he gonna pee on him? That would be awesome." Sadie stated. Gohan glared at him.

"Those are dogs you're thinking of, Sadie." Carter Khufu let out a loud screech and clapped.

"Seems he likes you." Amos commented. Gohan frowned.

"Ummmm… hi." Gohan patted the baboon on the head. Sadie looked a little bummed.

"Aww, I was hoping he'd pee on you." Gohan gritted his teeth.

"What is your problem?" he demanded. Sadie snorted.

"Right." Sadie looked dazed. "You've got a monkey butler. Why not?" Muffin purred in Sadie's arms as if the baboon didn't bother her at all.

"Agh!" Khufu grunted at Gohan. Amos chuckled. "He wants to go one-on-one with you, Gohan. You too, Carter. To, ah, see your game." Gohan shifted from foot to foot.

"What game?" Gohan asked.

"I think he means basketball." Carter answered. Gohan frowned.

"Um, yeah. Sure. Maybe tomorrow. But how can you understand—"

"Carter, I'm afraid you'll have a lot to get used to," Amos said. "But if you're going to survive and save your father, you have to get some rest."

"Sorry," Sadie said, "did you say 'survive and save our father'? Could you expand on that?" "Tomorrow," Amos said. "We'll begin your orientation in the morning. Khufu, show them to their rooms, please." "Agh-uhh!" the baboon grunted. He turned and waddled up the stairs. Unfortunately, the Lakers jersey didn't completely cover his multicolored rear. They were about to follow when Amos said, "Carter, the workbag, please. It's best if I lock it in the library." Carter hesitated.

"You'll get it back," Amos promised. "When the time is right." He asked nicely enough. Carter handed over the bag. Amos took it gingerly, as if it were full of explosives. "See you in the morning. Gohan, I'd like a word." After Carter and Sadie followed the baboon up the stairs, Amos turned to look at Gohan.

"I'm very happy you decided to join us. " Gohan crossed his arms.

"First of all, I haven't decided to do anything yet. I don't know you or any of this!" Gohan waved his arms.

"Yet you came anyway. Why?" Amos pointed out with a smile. Gohan glared at him.

"I was curious." Gohan stated feebly. Amos smiled.

"Trouble always seems to run into you, doesn't it? Even when you're on a different Earth." Gohan blinked in surprise.

"You… know about that?" Amos nodded.

"The House of Life tends to stay up to date on current events. When you tore through the dimensional barrier and arrived on this world, it sent shockwaves through the Duat." Gohan frowned.

"The what?" But, Amos continued on.

"Needless to say, it did not take long to track you down. You, the demigods, and the saytr left quite a mess wherever you went. The bus stop, St. , the " Amos picked up a remote and pressed a button, causing the television to turn on. It was showing a news footage from St. Louis… focused on the smoking arch. Gohan gulped.

"You were spying on me?" Gohan demanded. Amos smirked.

"Not me personally, just agents of the House of Life. Although, following you wasn't that difficult, especially when you reached Los Angeles. We observed your battle with Ares. Defeating the God of War has made quite the reputation for yourself. Not to mention the role you played in returning the master bolt to Zeus and averting a civil war between the greek gods." Gohan looked surprised, and a little bit embarrassed.

"Really?" Amos nodded.

"Ultimately, the chief lector decided to not interfere. You were with the Greek demigods, so it was decided to leave you be. Besides, I doubt anyone could stop you." Gohan smirked at that.

"I don't suppose you could send me home, could you?" Amos frowned at that statement, and seemed to ponder it for several minutes.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know how to do that. The Chief Lector, perhaps." Gohan kept a neutral face. That was all he ever heard when he asked that question. But, this was a bit different.

"Chief… Lector?" Amos nodded.

"The leader of the House of Life. He's very powerful and wise. Perhaps he has the answers you seek." Gohan tried to hide his elation. However, there was a bit of hesitation as well. After all, even Zeus couldn't send him home.

"Where would I find this guy?" Gohan asked. Amos smiled.

"I suspect he'll find you soon enough." Gohan gaped at him, baffled.

"In the meantime, I also apologize for Sadie's behavior. She's always been a bit…" Amos paused.

"Crazy? Rude? A jerk?" Gohan suggested. He almost added a b word he had heard once, but he had been better taught that that.

Amos chortled.

"I wouldn't say that to her. I would say she's… unique." Gohan smiled at that.

"Already did." Amos let out a booming laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure that you two will find that you have more in common than you think. I have a feeling you will all need each other for the journey ahead." Gohan blinked.

"Wait, what journey?" Gohan asked, baffled. Amos glared at Gohan.

"I don't believe in coincidences, Gohan. You encountered Sadie and Carter today for a reason. I believe that the fate of the world will rest on

He turned and strode toward the chained-up doors. They unlatched themselves and opened just enough for Amos to slip through without showing us anything on the other side. Then the chains locked again behind him, leaving Gohan standing alone. Gohan blinked, and then Gohan looked around curiously, taking in the large house.

"Man, I'm gonna need some help…" Then, Gohan's eyes fell on the large fountain in the center of the room. Gohan quickly came up with an idea. He raced up to the fountain, ignoring the spray on his face. Then, he held out his left hand palm up and concentrated. A yellow ki ball floated out of his hand, and flooded the room in light. Gohan grinned when he saw the glint of rainbows in the steam. He reached into his right pocket and shuffled around.

"Come on… yes!" He grinned as he pulled out a golden drachma. Also, his last one. Then, he hurled the drachma into the mist.

"Oh goddess Iris, accept my offering." Gohan paused.

Who should he call? Annabeth? Percy? Gohan frowned as he thought that over. Well, he still wasn't sure what he was getting into, so maybe calling Percy wasn't the best idea. Besides, he could just fly to Manhattan if he wanted.

Annabeth seemed like a better choice, given her knowledge and experience. But, Gohan wasn't sure if she was available, although he was sure she would help if he asked. Then again, he had to take care of something else given recent events, so he might as well take care of two birds with one stone.

"Chiron, at Camp Half-Blood!" The mist shimmered, and Gohan gulped. If he was lucky, Chiron didn't have a TV. Then, the mist formed to reveal two familiar faces: Chiron and Mr. D. From the background, they looked like they were inside the Big House.

"Chiron?" Gohan called out, causing the two to look at him in surprise. To be more precise, Mr. D looked amused, while Chiron had a look of relief on his face.

"Well, well, look who it is! My favorite brat, the monkey boy! Seems you've been busy? Upgrading from field wrecking, have you?" Mr. D laughed with a sarcastic tone.

"Mr. D…" Chiron spoke with a cautious tone. The god looked annoyed, but leaned back. Chiron, in his wheelchair, leaned towards Gohan.

"It's good to hear from you, Gohan. I was getting worried, especially since we haven't heard from you in over a month." Gohan shifted nervously.

"Well… I've been busy. Seeing the world, fighting monsters… Hercules says hello." Chiron looked amused.

"And how did you encounter Hercules?" Gohan smirked.

"It involved a golden apple and an arm wrestling contest. I'll tell you the rest when I get back to camp." Chiron nodded at that.

"Is there a reason you're calling now?" Gohan's tail twitched around his wait. Well, he might as well get it over with.

"I'm… in a bit of a situation." Chiron looked confused while Mr. D grinned.

"Ohh, I like the sound of this." Mr. D was smiling now, and to be blunt, it really freaked Gohan out.

"Well… it goes like this." Gohan then described what had happened in London (from his perspective.)

"So, now I'm in Brooklyn, inside this place that Amos calls the Twenty First Nome. I'm pretty confused, to say the least." Both Chiron and Mr. D's faces were grave.

"You're sure of all this?" Chiron asked. Gohan nodded.

"You're sure that the RosettaStone exploded?" Gohan nodded again.

"And this… man of fire said that all five were released?"

"Yes. That was what he said before he trapped that guy in a coffin and sank him into the floor." Gohan repeated. Chiron leaned towards Mr. D, the two of them quickly muttering between themselves. Unfortunately, Gohan couldn't catch any of it. His super hearing was useless with an Iris Message.

"Great, those idiots again." He heard Mr. D mutter before Chiron turned to look at Gohan.

"You said you're in the 21st Nome, in Brooklyn?" Gohan nodded.

"Yeah. I can see the Empire State Building from here. Chiron, can you please tell me what's going on? I figured if anyone would know, it's be you." Chiron sighed.

"I told you once, that there were other gods on this world beside the gods of Olympus. It seems you have encountered some of those other gods." Gohan blanched.

"That thing was a god?" Gohan asked. Dionysus looked annoyed.

"Well, this guy seemed nuts. He was bragging about how he was going to release even more, and they'll be very grateful, and that he shall be named king again." Now they looked alarmed.

"You're sure he said that?" Gohan nodded

"He also said something about… the Demon Days." Chiron looked alarmed.

"I must go to Olympus. Zeus and the others must be warned." Gohan looked alarmed.

"Wait, what about me? Amos mentioned something called The House of Life." Chiron shook his head.

"Gohan, listen to me carefully. You must be cautious around the House of Life. They may see you as an enemy." Gohan sighed in frustration.

"Doesn't everyone?" Dionysus snorted in amusement.

"I sure do." Chiron sighed.

"Mr. D…" Dionysus signed.

"Fine, whatever. Have fun with whatever mess you're in now, Trohan." Gohan looked annoyed. Would Mr. D ever get his name right?

"Look, if this thing's as bad as you say, I'll just get Percy, Annabeth and Grover to help" Chiron didn't even let him finish.

"No. Absolutely not. They cannot be involved in this. Percy is in school and safe, for the moment. Annabeth is busy as well with her family, and Grover is still searching for Pan. No one has heard from him in several weeks." Chiron stated. Gohan was a bit surprised by this, but pressed the matter anyway.

"Why? I think we did a pretty good job in getting the master bolt back from Ares. I'm sure we could handle… whatever the heck is going on." Still, Chiron shook his head.

"Absolutely not. I'm afraid no one from Camp Half-Blood can help you here, Gohan. This matter is… in simple terms, this matter is out of our jurisdiction." Gohan was flabbergasted.

"Out of your jurisdiction? What the hell does that mean?" he demanded. Then, the image shimmered. Chiron frowned.

"It seems we're losing the connection! Remember Gohan, be on your guard! Be wary of these gods! Many of them will try to deceive you! But please give Bast my regards! Farewell!" then, the image exploded into mist, leaving a very confused saiyan and a baboon.

"EEEE!" Khufu screeched as he leapt out of the fountain, soaking wet.

"Well… that wasn't very helpful." Gohan stated with a baffled expression.

"EEEE!" Gohan turned to look at the baboon. He grinned and hissed as he clenched his teeth, while he unwrapped his tail and let it twitch behind him. Khufu screeched and pounded his chest.

"What do you want?" Gohan asked. Khufu screeched again and shook, shaking the water off him. then, he bounded towards the stairs. Gohan frowned in confusion, but followed him. The baboon led him to the third floor and stopped at the farthest door to the left. Needless to say, he was shocked when he stepped inside.

He had his own kitchenette. It seemed impossible. The TV, computer, and stereo system were totally high-tech. The bathroom was stocked with toothpaste, deodorant, everything. The king-size bed was awesome, too, though the pillow was a little strange. Instead of a cloth pillow, it was an ivory headrest. It was decorated with lions and (of course) more hieroglyphs. Gohan carefully patted the bed. If he had to be honest(no offense to Poseidon), this was the best room he had seen in awhile. It even reminded him a little of his old room on his own Earth. The room even had a deck that looked out on New York Harbor, with views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty in the distance, but the sliding glass doors were locked shut somehow. Gohan looked through the glass at the Empire State Building, where a bolt of lightning shot over the tower.

Gohan turned to look for Khufu, but he was gone. The door to his room was shut. He tried to open it, but it was locked. True, Gohan could have easily ripped if off if he wanted to... but a feeling made him not. He was tired and frustrated at the same time. In the end, he fell back on the bed and passed out. It was easier than he thought?

 **Enjoy that? There's plenty more coming soon! Enjoy!**


	7. Bad Dreams and Awkward Breakfast

Gohan was dreaming. Well, at least he thought he was. He was standing in his room, like he had never left. His homework was stuffed in a drawer, and his room was it's usual mess. Clothes and books were tossed everywhere. Gohan looked down to see himself wearing his father's gi. As he stood there in confusion, a rich smell reached his nose, causing him to salivate.

"Gohan! Your breakfast's ready!" his mom called. A smile came across his face. He was home. He ran to the door and threw it open… to be faced with endless white. Gohan knew exactly what this was. It was the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the endless void where he had trained to become stronger, training for a year in only a day, where he had finally become a Super Saiyan, and his father had glimpsed his hidden power, his Super Saiyan 2 form, which would prove key in defeating Cell.

"Hey, Gohan! Over here!" Gohan blinked in surprise, almost disbelieving of the voice he had heard. He followed the voice to see a familiar figure standing some distance from the door, his back to Gohan. But, there was no mistaking that shape... or that hair. And, to confirm his suspicions, there was his father, Goku. He grinned as he waved at Gohan, with that oblivious smile he usually had. Gohan sputtered as he took a step forward. It couldn't be… his father was dead. Because of him.

"This isn't real…" Gohan muttered to himself. But, Goku continued to laugh and wave.

"Come on! Let's get back to training!" Gohan took one step forward, then two. Then… he ran.

"Dad!" Gohan yelled as he ran towards his father. But… it seemed like the longer he ran, the farther away his father seemed to get, until Goku seemed to fade away into a large cluster of white mist. Gohan ran right after him, his vision blurring into white. Then, Gohan felt a jerk on the back of his shirt, and he snapped back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gohan blinkled and looked back to see Piccolo clutching the back of his shirt. Gohan gaped, and then turned around to see himself dangling over the edge of the Lookout. Piccolo grunted and dropped him with a hard thud.

"Hey, airhead." Gohan turned in surprise to see Annabeth sitting crosslegged on the ground, with a large book on her hands. She was dressed in her camp outfit, and had the same curious expression that she usually had when reading.

"Annabeth?" Gohan asked. She nodded. Gohan turned, but Piccolo has vanished.

"Hey!" she snapped, causing Gohan to look at her again.

"You've got someplace to be, airhead. So, hurry up." Gohan blinked in confusion.

"Huh?" Annabeth snorted as she stood up.

"You're as dumb as Percy…" Then, she shoved him, and he fell back into white mist.

Then the mist cleared, and he was in a different place.

Gohan floated above a barren mountain. Far below, a grid of city lights stretched across the valley floor. Definitely not New York. It was nighttime, but Gohan could tell he was in the desert. The wind was so dry, the skin on his face was like paper.

Beneath Gohan on a ridge stood three figures. They didn't seem to notice him at all. In fact he was pretty much invisible, floating in the darkness. Gohan slowly moved his left arm, then his right. It seemed like he could control his movements. So, he floated down for a closer look.

He couldn't make out the two figures clearly, except to recognize that they weren't human. Now, Gohan had seen plenty of non-humans before, but these things weren't aliens. At least from what Gohan could tell.

Staring harder, he could see that one was short, squat, and hairless, with slimy skin that glistened in the starlight—like an amphibian standing on its hind legs. The other was tall and scarecrow skinny, with rooster claws instead of feet. Gohan couldn't see his face very well, but it looked red and moist and... nasty. The third, Gohan couldn't make out at all. He or… whatever it was completely cloaked, with every detail hidden.

"Where is he?" the toadie-looking one croaked nervously.

"Hasn't taken a permanent host yet," the rooster-footed guy chided. "He can only appear for a short time." The third figure remained silent.

"You're sure this is the place?"

"Yes, fool! He'll be here as soon—"

A fiery form appeared on the ridge. The two creatures fell to the ground, groveling in the dirt. The third didn't move an inch. Gohan blinked in surprise.

"My lord!" the toad said. Even in the dark, the newcomer was hard to see—just the silhouette of a man outlined in flames. Gohan cocked his head in confusion as he floated a bit closer. This seemed to be the same crazy guy from the museum, despite being a bit toned down. Still, gohan's mind raced with possibilities.

"Is that Ares?" Gohan wondered. After all, Ares could change his form at will, that was one of the many benefits of being a god. He had attacked in Gohan with flames during their fight, but it seemed different at the same time.

"What do they call this place?" the man asked. Gohan frowned. It certainly didn't sound like Ares.

"My lord," Rooster Foot said. "The mountain is called Camelback. The city is called Phoenix."

The fiery man laughed—a booming sound like thunder. "Phoenix. How appropriate! And the desert so much like home. All it needs now is to be scoured of life. The desert should be a sterile place, don't you think?"

"Oh yes, my lord," the toadie agreed. "But what of the other four?"

"One is already entombed," the fiery man said. "The second is weak. She will be easily manipulated. That leaves only two. And they will be dealt with soon enough."

"Er...how?" the toadie asked.

The fiery man glowed brighter. "You are an inquisitive little tadpole, aren't you?" He pointed at the toad and the poor creature's skin began to steam.

"No!" the toadie begged. "No-o-o-o!"

Gohan winched slightly as he watched. He was more than familiar with seeing psychos murder their own allies for no reason at all. Soon there was nothing left.

Rooster Foot took a nervous step back. Gohan couldn't blame him.

"We will build my temple here," the fiery man said, as if nothing had happened. "This mountain shall serve as my place of worship. When it is complete, I will summon the greatest storm ever known. I will cleanse everything. Everything." The cloaked man snorted.

"You think you're the only God with that idea?" he finally spoke. Unfortunately, Gohan couldn't tell whose voice it was. It was muffled, though it did sound familiar. But, Gohan couldn't place where he had heard it before.

"Do not get ahead of yourself. May I remind you who released you from your prison? If not for me, you'd still be rotting in that rock." The flaming man turned to face the cloaked man.

"Ahhhh… yes, I already heard. You and Kronos, attempting to trick those Greek fools into destroying each other by having one of their pets steal Zeus' toy. Clever, I'll give you that. Nearly worked, if not for the intervention of a certain child of Poseidon and his allies." Gohan tensed. They were talking about Percy, Annabeth, Grover… and him. The figure snarled.

"There were… unexpected complications. But, I already have another plan in motion for the Greek demigods, and as for Jackson and Chase? They will not interfere in this affair." Gohan floated a bit closer, but still couldn't make out who the third figure was.

"This has to be Luke." Gohan thought in frustration. It made perfect sense. Luke and Kronos has worked together, so it made sense that Kronos would have Luke try other plans to make his way.

"And where is Kronos? I don't like speaking to proxys. Surely he's reformed himself by now?" the fiery man demanded. The cloaked man was silent for a time before answering.

"He's here and there. It will take some time before he is fully reformed." The fiery man snorted

"King of the Titans… so, he has you free me so that I can do what he cannot." Then, the man took several steps towards the cloaked man, until they were eye to eye.

"Tell your king that I am no one's lackey! I will do thing my way!" the cloaked man was silent. The fiery man laughed before turning away.

"Now then… time to get things started!" he grinned as he brought his hands together.

"Yes, my lord," Rooster Foot agreed quickly. "And, ah, if I may suggest, my lord, to increase your power..." The creature bowed and scraped and moved forward, as if he wanted to whisper in the fiery man's ear. Then, the fiery dude burned brighter.

"Excellent! If you can do this, you will be rewarded. If not..."

"I understand, my lord."

"Go then," the fiery man said. "Unleash our forces. Start with the longnecks. That should soften them up. Collect the younglings and bring them to me. I want them alive, before they have time to learn their powers. Do not fail me."

"No, lord." Then, the fiery man turned to face the cloaked figure.

"Go! I have no need for you anymore. Go tell Kronos that a true god will do what he cannot!" The cloaked figure smiled. Well, Gohan thought he smiled. He had a weird feeling he was.

"Shame. You'll regret this." Then, he chuckled.

"Well… you'll learn the hard way soon enough." Then, the cloaked man vanished

"Phoenix," the fiery man mused. "I like that very much." He swept his hand across the horizon, as if he were imagining the city in flames. "Soon I will rise from your ashes. It will be a lovely birthday present."

Gohan woke up with his heart pounding. He took several deep breaths as he sat up, rubbing his hair, which was soaked through.

"Mrow." Gohan blinked as he rubbed his eyes in confusion

"Hello?" he asked sleepily.

"Mrow." Gohan's eyes widened in surprise to see that girl's cat sitting at the foot of his bed, looking at him. Gohan frowned. What was that cat's name again… Muffin, he remembered. But what in Olympus was it doing here?

Muffin stared at him, her eyes half closed. "Mrow." "How did you get in?" Gohan muttered.

Muffin jumped off the bed and sniffed at the ivory headrest, looking up at him as if she were trying to tell the young saiyan something. She butted her head against it and stared at him accusingly. "Mrow."

Gohan was confused, to say the least. It wasn't that he didn't get along with animals. Most of them liked him, and he liked them in return, like his dragon, Icarus. But there was something about this cat that unnerved him, the way it stared at him. Then, it turned and bolted from the room.

"Whatever, cat."

Gohan got up and showered. When he tried to get dressed, he found that his old clothes had disappeared in the night. Everything in the closet was his size, but way different than what he was used to—baggy drawstring pants and loose shirts, all plain white linen, and robes for cold weather. He groaned in frustration.

"Oh come on!" he protested out loud. It was bad enough that he didn't have any clothes from his own world. His gi from the Cell Games had been ripped to shreds, and he couldn't create new clothing like Piccolo could. Well, the clothes from Camp Half-Blood weren't horrible. They were quite comfortable, actually. To be honest, anything was better than those nightmarish outfits his mother used to stuff him in. Sighing, he pulled it on, although it did take several attempts… and he had to rip a hole for his tail.

Thankfully his bedroom door wasn't locked anymore.

Gohan walked downstairs, passing a lot of unoccupied bedrooms on the way. The mansion could've easily slept a hundred people, but instead it felt empty and sad.

Down in the Great Room, Khufu the baboon sat on the sofa with a basketball between his legs and a chunk of strange-looking meat in his hands. It was covered in pink feathers. ESPN was on the television, and Khufu was watching highlights from the games the night before.

He could see Sadie, Amos, and Carter out on the terrace, eating breakfast by the pool. It should've been freezing out there, but the fire pit was blazing, and neither Amos nor Sadie looked cold. He headed their way, then hesitated in front of the statue of Thoth. In the daylight, the bird-headed god didn't look quite so scary. Still, he could swear those beady eyes were watching him expectantly. Gohan didn't know why it did. He had seen and faced far worse. And plus… Gohan groaned as he clenched his stomach. He was starving. So, he headed out to the terrace. They all looked up as he walked up. Sadie had a look of shock for an instant and turned red, before quickly resuming her normal, bored look.

"Nice arms. About time you popped up, sleepyhead." Gohan licked his lips.

He could smell breakfast now—French toast, bacon, hot chocolate. His mouth watered.

"Ah, Gohan," Amos said. "Merry Christmas, my boy. Join us. I hear you have quite an appetite. Help yourself." Amos said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. His clothes were similar to those he'd worn the day before. His tailored suit was made of blue wool, he wore a matching fedora, and his hair was freshly braided with dark blue lapis lazuli, one of the stones the Egyptians often used for jewelry. Even his glasses matched. The round lenses were tinted blue.

As for Sadie, she was dressed in a white linen pajama outfit like him, but somehow she'd managed to keep her combat boots. She'd probably slept with them on. She looked pretty comical with the red- streaked hair and the outfit.

Needless to say, Gohan tore in. He stuffed his face full of bacon and gulped down a lot of French toast. He breathed it in by the plateful. When he finally looked up to reach for a cup of chocolate, he saw that Sadie and Carter were staring at him with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

"Talk about déjà vu." Gohan thought, remembering what had happened when he had first come to Camp Half-Blood. Amos just looked amused.

"What?" Gohan asked.

"What… the… hell?" Sadie demanded, while Carter kept a stunned look on his face. Amos laughed. Gohan decided to quickly change the subject.

"Um...Amos?" Gohan asked. "You didn't have any pet birds, did you? Khufu's eating something with pink feathers."

"Mmm." Amos sipped his coffee. "Sorry if that disturbed you. Khufu's very picky. He only eats foods that end in -o. Doritos, burritos, flamingos."

Carter blinked. "Did you say—"

"Carter," Sadie warned. She looked a little queasy, like she'd already had this conversation. To be honest, though, Gohan wasn't sure if that was because of the baboon or his eating habits. "Don't ask."

"Okay," Carter said. "Not asking."

"Please, help yourself." Amos waved toward a buffet table piled high with food. "Then we can get started with the explanations." Gohan didn't even ask twice.

He snagged some pancakes with butter and syrup, some bacon, and a glass of OJ, for starters.

Then he noticed movement in the corner of my eye. Gohan glanced at the swimming pool. Something long and pale was gliding just under the surface of the water.

He almost dropped his plate in surprise. "Is that—"

"A crocodile," Amos confirmed. "For good luck. He's albino, but please don't mention that. He's sensitive."

"His name is Philip of Macedonia," Sadie informed him.

Gohan had to admit, he was impressed by how calm Sadie seemed to be, despite everything that was going on.

"That's a long name," Carter said.

"He's a long crocodile," Sadie said. "Oh, and he likes bacon."

To prove her point, she tossed a piece of bacon over her shoulder. Philip lunged out of the water and snapped up the treat. His hide was pure white and his eyes were pink. His mouth was so big, he could've snapped up an entire pig.

"He's quite harmless to my friends," Amos assured. "In the old days, no temple would be complete without a lake full of crocodiles. They are powerful magic creatures." Gohan frowned.

"I've seen worse." Sadie frowned, but Amos chuckled.

"I'm sure you have, Gohan." Carter looked a bit puzzled.

"Right," he said. "So the baboon, the crocodile...any other pets I should know about?" Amos thought for a moment. "Visible ones? No, I think that's it." Gohan chuckled.

"I've had a few weird pets myself." Gohan frowned as he fely something brush his leg. He looked down to see Muffin circle his legs and purr. He frowned.

"So, Amos," Carter said between bites of pancake. "Explanations."

"About time." Gohan added as he ate another ten pancakes. Sadie bunched her nose up in disgust.

"Yes," he agreed. "Where to start..."

"Our dad," Sadie suggested.

"What happened to him?" Amos took a deep breath. "Julius was attempting to summon a god. Unfortunately, it worked." Gohan looked surprised.

"Any god in particular?" Carter asked casually. "Or did he just order a generic god?"

Sadie kicked him under the table. She was scowling, as if she actually believed what Amos was saying. Gohan shot him a scathing look.

"That's not something you should joke about." Gohan stated.

Amos took a bite of bagel. "Very true, Gohan. As I was saying, there are many Egyptian gods, Carter. But your dad was after one in particular."

He looked at him meaningfully.

"Osiris," Carter remembered. "When Dad was standing in front of the Rosetta Stone, he said, 'Osiris, come.' But Osiris is a legend. He's make-believe."

"I wish that were true." Amos stared across the East River at the Manhattan skyline, gleaming in the morning sun. Gohan glanced at Manhattan as well, remembering his own experiences with gods. "The Ancient Egyptians were not fools, Carter. They built the pyramids. They created the first great nation state. Their civilization lasted thousands of years."

"Yeah," Carter said. "And now they're gone."

Amos shook his head. "A legacy that powerful does not disappear. Next to the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans were babies. Our modern nations like Great Britain and America? Blinks of an eye. The very oldest root of civilization, at least of Western civilization, is Egypt. Look at the pyramid on the dollar bill. Look at the Washington Monument—the world's largest Egyptian obelisk. Egypt is still very much alive. And so, unfortunately, are her gods." Gohan was a bit baffled by this.

"Wait… so if Egypt came before Greece, then how did…" Amos frowned.

"That answer would requite a long, complex explanation that we simply don't have the time for." Sadie looked baffled.

"What the hell are you two talking about? Who is this guy anyway?" Sadie demanded. Amos frowned as he leaned back.

"I will explain in a minute. But, it's important that we look at the bigger picture for the minute, and that involves the gods."

"Come on," Carter argued. "I mean...even if I believe there's a real thing called magic. Believing in ancient gods is totally different. You're joking, right?" Amos sighed

"Carter," Amos said, "the Egyptians would not have been stupid enough to believe in imaginary gods. The beings they described in their myths are very, very real. In the old days, the priests of Egypt would call upon these gods to channel their power and perform great feats. That is the origin of what we now call magic. Like many things, magic was first invented by the Egyptians. Each temple had a branch of magicians called the House of Life. Their magicians were famed throughout the ancient world."

"And you're an Egyptian magician." Gohan stated.

Amos nodded. "So was Julius. You all saw it for yourself last night."

"But he's an archaeologist," Sadie said stubbornly.

"That's his cover story. You'll remember that he specialized in translating ancient spells, which are very difficult to understand unless you work magic yourself. Our family, the Kane family, has been part of the House of Life almost since the beginning. And your mother's family is almost as ancient."

"The Fausts?" Carter asked.

"They had not practiced magic for many generations," Amos admitted. "Not until your mother came along. But yes, a very ancient bloodline."

Sadie shook her head in disbelief. "So now Mum was magic, too. Are you joking?"

"No jokes," Amos promised. "The two of you...you combine the blood of two ancient families, both of which have a long, complicated history with the gods. You are the most powerful Kane children to be born in many centuries."

"You're telling me our parents secretly worshipped animal-headed gods?" Carter asked.

"Not worshipped," Amos corrected. "By the end of the ancient times, Egyptians had learned that their gods were not to be worshipped. They are powerful beings, primeval forces, but they are not divine in the sense one might think of God. They are created entities, like mortals, only much more powerful. We can respect them, fear them, use their power, or even fight them to keep them under control—"

"Fight gods?" Sadie interrupted. Gohan couldn't help but smile at the memory of a certain god getting a well-deserved trashing.

"Constantly," Amos assured her. "But we don't worship them. Thoth taught us that."

"So..." Carter said. "Why did Dad break the Rosetta Stone?"

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean to break it," Amos said. "That would've horrified him. In fact, I imagine my brethren in London have repaired the damage by now. The curators will soon check their vaults and discover that the Rosetta Stone miraculously survived the explosion." Gohan looked surprised.

"But it was blown into a million pieces!" Gohan said. "How could they repair it? I don't think the Mist can fix things." Amos picked up a saucer and threw it onto the stone floor. The saucer shattered instantly.

"That was to destroy," Amos said. "I could've done it by magic—ha-di—but it's simpler just to smash it. And now..." Amos held out his hand. "Join. Hi-nehm."

The pieces of the saucer flew into his hand and reassembled like a puzzle, even the smallest bits of dust gluing themselves into place. Amos put the perfect saucer back on the table.

Amos poured milk in the saucer, and put it on the floor. Muffin came padding over. "At any rate, your father would never intentionally damage a relic. He simply didn't realize how much power the Rosetta Stone contained. You see, as Egypt faded, its magic collected and concentrated into its remaining relics. Most of these, of course, are still in Egypt. But you can find some in almost every major museum. A magician can use these artifacts as focal points to work more powerful spells."

"I don't get it," Carter said.

Amos spread his hands. "I'm sorry, Carter. It takes years of study to understand magic, and I'm trying to explain it to you in a single morning. The important thing is, for the past six years your father has been looking for a way to summon Osiris, and last night he thought he had found the right artifact to do it, with a little help from his new benefactor. Unfortunately… well, you saw the rest." Both Sadie and Carter looked angry at that statement

"Wait, why did he want Osiris? Wouldn't he go to Hades?" Gohan asked, getting confused looks from Sadie and Carter. Amos shook his head.

"There's more than one world of the dead, Gohan. It depends on what you follow, for the most part. Some souls who follow Greek traditions, like your friends, go to the Underworld, and others, who follow the Egyptian ways, go to Osiris's realm." Sadie crossed her arms angrily.

"Why?" Carter asked.

Sadie gave him a troubled look. "Carter, Osiris was the lord of the dead. Dad was talking about making things right. He was talking about Mum."

"He wanted to bring Mom back from the dead?" Carter said. "But that's crazy!" Gohan shook his head.

"It's actually not. I've seen people brought back from the dead." Gohan stated, not getting specific.

Amos hesitated. "It would've been dangerous. Inadvisable. Foolish. But not crazy. Your father is a powerful magician. If, in fact, that is what he was after, he might have accomplished it, using the power of Osiris."

Carter stared at Sadie. "You're actually buying this?

" You saw the magic at the museum. The fiery bloke. Dad summoned something from the stone."

"Yeah," he said. "But that wasn't Osiris, was it?"

"No," Amos said. "Your father got more than he bargained for. He did release the spirit of Osiris. In fact, I think he successfully joined with the god—"

"Joined with?"

Amos held up his hand. "Another long conversation. For now, let's just say he drew the power of Osiris into himself. But he never got the chance to use it because, according to what Sadie has told me, this… Dr. Gero, or whoever he really was, interrupted Julius and released five gods from the Rosetta Stone. Five gods who were all trapped together."

Carter glanced at Sadie. "You told him everything?"

"He's going to help us, Carter." Carter wasn't quite ready to trust this guy, even if he was their uncle, but he decided he didn't have much choice. He then turned towards Gohan.

"And what about you?" Carter said, pointing at Gohan, who blinked in surprise.

"Huh?" Gohan frowned.

"I don't know you. All I know is that Amos waved his wand and made you pop up, and said that you were going to help us out for some adventure. Yet, I repeat, I don't know anything about you! Why should I trust you!" Sadie looked a bit surprised by Carter's outburst.

"Damn, big brother. I didn't know you had such a temper!" Sadie grinned.

"I'm usually not this pissed." Carter stated. Sadie nodded.

"I gotta agree with my big brother on this one. All I've seen so far is that you are a rude, bumbling airhead… with big arms." Gohan looked annoyed.

"You know, I saved your life! Most people would say thank you!" Sadie smirked.

"And about that! I saw you do something with your hands in the museam! You blew up that guy's fire blast. So… yeah!" Gohan was a little annoyed to say the least, but… he could see why they were acting the way they did. Amos looked at Gohan and nodded.

"Basically… I'm lost, and I'm trying to get home." Gohan said, getting confused looks from Sadie and Carter.

"Gohan is like you. He has special abilities as well." Amos stated.

"Really?" Carter asked curiously.

"Yeah. And an interesting set of parents too. Only… I'm probably a bit different than you in that regard." Gohan smirked.

"Oh really? Why?" Sadie demanded.

"Because I'm an half-alien super warrior from a parallel universe." Gohan spoke. For once, he decided to be blunt. Carter and Sadie stared at Gohan with blank looks. Then, Sadie burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha!" she howled with laughter, shaking so hard that she was crying. Carter, on the other hand, was silent, slowly looking from Gohan to Amos with a bewildered expression.

"So, what next? You gonna beam me up to your spaceship? Set phasers to stun?" Gohan gave Sadie a puzzled look.

"What?" Gohan asked, baffled. Sadie continued laughing.

"Sadie… I don't think he's joking." Carter said nervously. Gohan slowly rose from the table and smirked. Then, he floated into the air as his tail unwrapped from his waist and wriggled in the air. Sadie froze mid-laugh while Carter's eyes widened.

"Ummmm… whaaat? Is that a tail?" Sadie asked with a baffled expression. Gohan smirked as he gently floated back to the ground.

"You said parallel universe, right?" Carter asked quickly. Gohan nodded.

"So it's real? The multiverse theory?" Carter added. Gohan nodded. Carter looked like he wanted to cry.

"That is… this is… wow! Do you realize what this means? The possibilities? What's your world like? Are the continents the same? The governments?" Carter was babbling.

"Okay, nerd. Whatever." Sadie looked bored now. Gohan looked amused.

"Yeah, there's a lot of similarities and differences, not to mention there's a lot more there besides that. But, I think Amos here has something he wants to say. Amos nodded before he continued.

"It wasn't an accident that you encountered each other. I believe Gohan met you two last night for a reason. You three are meant to do this together."

"What… you knew about this? Do what together?" Sadie snapped

"Okay, yeah," Carter said, quickly recovering from his shock, although he was still staring at Gohan. "The fiery guy said something like 'You released all five.' What did he mean?" Gohan started. Had Carter has the same dream that he had?

Amos sipped his coffee. The faraway look on his face reminded me of my dad. "I don't want to scare you."

"Too late."

"No way you can scare me." Gohan shrugged. Amos sighed.

"The gods of Egypt are very dangerous. For the last two thousand years or so, we magicians have spent much of our time binding and banishing them whenever they appear. In fact, our most important law, issued by Chief Lector Iskandar in Roman times, forbids unleashing the gods or using their power. Your father broke that law once before."

Sadie's face paled. "Does this have something to do with Mum's death? Cleopatra's Needle in London?"

"It has everything to do with that, Sadie. Your parents...well, they thought they were doing something good. They took a terrible risk, and it cost your mother her life. Your father took the blame. He was exiled, I suppose you would say. Banished. He was forced to move around constantly because the House monitored his activities. They feared he would continue his...research. As indeed he did."

"Is that why you never came round?" Sadie asked Amos. "Because Dad was banished?"

"The House forbade me to see him. I loved Julius. It hurt me to stay away from my brother, and from you children. But I could not see you—until last night, when I simply had no choice but to try to help. Julius has been obsessed with finding Osiris for years. He was consumed with grief because of what happened to your mother, and unfortunately, the wrong person took perfect advantage of Julius' grief. Usually, Julius is a very cautious man. Unfortunately…" the air was silent, as everyone knew what Amos meant. He took a breath and continued.

"When I learned that Julius was about to break the law again, to try to set things right, I had to stop him. A second offense would've meant a death sentence. Unfortunately, I failed. I should've known he was too stubborn."

"Last night at the museum," Carter said, "the girl with the knife, the man with the forked beard—they were magicians too? From the House of Life?"

"Yes," Amos said. "Keeping an eye on your father. You are fortunate they let you go."

"The girl wanted to kill us," Carter remembered. "But the guy with the beard said, not yet."

"They don't kill unless it is absolutely necessary," Amos said. "They will wait to see if you are a threat." He paused as he looked at Gohan.

"You, on the other hand… they already know what you're capable of. You need to be especially cautious." Gohan scowled at that.

"Why would we be a threat?" Sadie demanded. "We're children! The summoning wasn't our idea. And we have nothing to do with alien boy here!" Sadie gestured at Gohan.

Amos pushed away his plate. "There is a reason you two were raised separately."

"Because the Fausts took Dad to court," Carter said matter-of-factly. "And Dad lost."

"It was much more than that," Amos said. "The House insisted you two be separated. Your father wanted to keep you both, even though he knew how dangerous it was."

Sadie looked like she'd been smacked between the eyes. "He did?"

"Of course. But the House intervened and made sure your grandparents got custody of you, Sadie. If you and Carter were raised together, you could become very powerful. Perhaps you have already sensed changes over the past day." Gohan frowned.

"They don't feel strong." Sadie glared at Gohan.

"Hey!" she snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Carter asked.

"Usually, I can sense how strong someone is by reading their energy, what we call their ki. But… I can't get anything here. Then again, my senses have been going wack ever since I arrived here." Amos frowned.

"I suspect our world is different from yours in that regard, Gohan." Amos stated. Carter started as he stared at Sadie.

"Your sixth birthday," he told Sadie. "The cake," she said immediately. Gohan looked baffled.

"What?" he asked. Carter explained what he had been talking about. Apparently, at Sadie's sixth birthday party, , Sadie and Carter had a huge argument. They started yelling. She grabbed his shirt. He pushed her. Then, Sadie's birthday cake exploded. Icing splattered the walls, their parents, the faces of Sadie's little six-year-old friends. Dad and Mom separated them and sent them to my room. Later, they said Carter and Sadie must've hit the cake by accident as we were fighting, but I knew we hadn't." Gohan snickered.

"I've had a few bad parties myself, so I can get that."

Carter turned to Amos. "That was you. You were at Sadie's party."

"Vanilla icing," he recalled. "Very tasty. But it was clear even then that you two would be difficult to raise in the same household."

"And so..." Carter faltered. "What happens to us now?" Gohan couldn't help but feel sorry for Carter and Sadie. He knew exactly what it was like to be all alone

"You must be trained properly," Amos said, "whether the House approves or not." "Why wouldn't they approve?" Carter asked.

"I will explain everything, don't worry. But we must start your lessons if we are to stand any chance of finding your father and putting things right. Otherwise the entire world is in danger. If we only knew where—"

"Phoenix," Carter blurted out. Amos stared at him. "What?"

"Last night I had...well, not a dream, exactly..." Carter told him what had happened while I slept. Gohan looked surprised.

"You had that dream too?" Gohan asked in surprise, causing Carter to gape at him.

Judging from Amos's expression, the news was even worse than they thought. "You're sure he said 'birthday present'?" he asked.

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Carter asked. Amos ignored him.

"And a permanent host," Amos said. "He didn't have one yet?"

"Well, that's what the rooster-footed guy said—"

"That was a demon," Amos said. "A minion of chaos. And if demons are coming through to the mortal world, we don't have much time." Carter looked baffled. Amos turned towards Gohan.

"The third, the hidden one… is he one of yours? One of… them?" Gohan knew exactly what Amos was talking about.

"Maybe. It does make sense, after they failed with the bolt." Amos groaned.

"This is bad, very bad." Amos muttered to himself.

"If you live in Phoenix," Carter said.

"Carter, our enemy won't stop in Phoenix. If he's grown so powerful so fast...What did he say about the storm, exactly?"

"He said: 'I will summon the greatest storm ever known.'"

Amos scowled. "The last time he said that, he created the Sahara. A storm that large could destroy North America, generating enough chaos energy to give him an almost invincible form."

"What are you talking about? Who is this guy?"

Amos waved away the question. "More important right now: why didn't you sleep with the headrest?"

Carter shrugged. "It was uncomfortable." he looked at Sadie for support. "You didn't use it, did you?" Sadie rolled her eyes. "Well, of course I did. It was obviously there for a reason." Carter looked at Gohan.

"You didn't." Gohan shrugged.

"I was pretty tired, I just fell on the bed and passed out."

"Carter," Amos said, "sleep is dangerous. It's a doorway into the Duat."

"Lovely," Sadie grumbled. "Another strange word."

"Ah...yes, sorry," Amos said. "The Duat is the world of spirits and magic. It exists beneath the waking world like a vast ocean, with many layers and regions. We submerged just under its surface last night to reach New York, because travel through the Duat is much faster. Carter, your consciousness also passed through its shallowest currents as you slept, which is how you witnessed what happened in Phoenix. Fortunately, you survived that experience. But the deeper you go into the Duat, the more horrible things you encounter, and the more difficult it is to return. There are entire realms filled with demons, palaces where the gods exist in their pure forms, so powerful their mere presence would burn a human to ashes. There are prisons that hold beings of unspeakable evil, and some chasms so deep and chaotic that not even the gods dare explore them. Now that your powers are stirring, you must not sleep without protection, or you leave yourself open to attacks from the Duat or...unintended journeys through it. The headrest is enchanted, to keep your consciousness anchored to your body."

"You mean I actually did... Could he have killed me?" Carter asked.

Amos's expression was grave. "The fact that your soul can travel like that means you are progressing faster than I thought. Faster than should be possible. If the Red Lord had noticed you—"

"The Red Lord?" Sadie said. "That's the fiery bloke?"

Amos rose. "I must find out more. We can't simply wait for him to find you. And if he releases the storm on his birthday, at the height of his powers—"

"You mean you're going to Phoenix? Amos, that fiery man defeated Dad like his magic was a joke! Now he's got demons, and he's getting stronger, and—you'll be killed!" Gohan rose

"Look, let me go with you. I'm more than capable of handling myself." Amos gave Gohan a dry smile, like he'd already weighed the dangers and didn't need a reminder. His expression reminded me painfully of Dad's.

"No. Carter and Sadie need you far more than I do, and the same goes for you. And Carter, don't count your uncle out so quickly, Carter. I've got some magic of my own. Besides, I must see what is happening for myself if we're to have any chance at saving your father and stopping the Red Lord. I'll be quick and careful. Just stay here. If worse comes to worse, Muffin will guard you."

Carter blinked. "The cat will guard us? You can't just leave us here! What about our training?"

"When I return," Amos promised. "Don't worry, the mansion is protected. Just do not leave. Do not be tricked into opening the door for anyone. And whatever happens, do not go into the library. I absolutely forbid it. I will be back by sunset."

Before they could protest, Amos walked calmly to the edge of the terrace and jumped.

"No!" Sadie screamed. They ran to the railing and looked over. Below was a hundred-foot drop into the East River. There was no sign of Amos. He'd simply vanished.

Philip of Macedonia splashed in his pool. Muffin jumped onto the railing and insisted they pet her.

"Well… this is an interesting situation." Gohan stated. Carter snorted

"You can say that again."

They were alone in a strange mansion with a baboon, a crocodile, and a weird cat. And apparently, the entire world was in danger. Gohan sighed as Carter looked at Sadie.

"What do we do now?"

She crossed her arms. "Well, that's obvious, isn't it? We explore the library." She then took off into the mansion. Carter and Gohan looked at each other before racing after her.

"Here we go again…" Gohan sighed


	8. Library Snooping

Gohan was already having a pretty weird day. Currently, he was stuck in a weird house with two kids, a cat, and apparently another world ending threat. So... just another average day for the moment, he and Carter were currently keeping Sadie from snooping around.

"Hold on!" Carter cried. "You can't just—"

"Brother dear," Sadie said, "did your soul leave your body again while Amos was talking, or did you actually hear him? Egyptian gods real. Red Lord bad. Red Lord's birthday: very soon, very bad. House of Life: fussy old magicians who hate our family because Dad was a bit of a rebel, whom by the way you could take a lesson from. Which leaves us—just the three of us—with Dad missing, an evil god about to destroy the world, and an uncle who just jumped off the building—and I can't actually blame him." Sadie took a breath.

"Am I missing anything? Oh, yes, I also have a brother who is supposedly quite powerful from an ancient bloodline, blah, blah, et cetera, but is too afraid to visit a library. And let's not forget the alien boy from a parallel universe. Now, coming or not?"

Carter blinked as if she'd just hit him, while Gohan shrugged.

"That's a little harsh, Sadie. And, could you not call me that?" she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, weirdo. How about Apehead, or tailbutt?" Gohan gritted his teeth.

"Will you please stop insulting me?" Gohan asked. Sadie smirked.

"No. No I will not." Gohan groaned.

"I just..." Carter faltered. "I just think we should be careful."

"Look," Sadie said. "We need to help Dad, yes? There's got to be some powerful stuff in that library, otherwise Amos wouldn't keep it locked up. You do want to help Dad?"

Carter shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah...of course." Sadie turned towards Gohan.

"What about you? Are you gonna help us?" she asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" Gohan answered, giving her an angry look.

Well, that was one problem sorted, so they headed for the library. But as soon as Khufu saw what they were up to, he scrambled off the sofa with his basketball and jumped in front of the library doors. Gohan sighed.

Carter tried to reason with him. "Khufu, we're not going to steal anything. We just want—"

"Agh!" Khufu dribbled his basketball angrily.

"Hang on, I think I've got an idea. He likes O's, right?" Carter and Sadie nodded. Gohan pressed his hands together and took a deep breath. Then, a glowing yellow ki circle appeared in his cupped hands, then floating a foot in front of him. Carter's mouth dropped while Sadie's eyes widened.

"Hey, look what I've got!" Gohan gestured with the orb.

"Aghhh!" Khufu grunted, more excited now than angry.

"Want it?" Gohan coaxed. He gestured, causing the ki ball to zoom left. The baboon let out a loud screech as his eyes followed it. Gohan continued to make gestures with his hand, baiting the baboon until he finally screamed and chased after the orb. Then, Gohan made one final movement, and the orb zoomed out of the balcony. Khufu let out a loud screech and chased after it. Then, Gohan raced to the doors, slammed it shut, and locked it.

"And that… is how it's done." Gohan smirked as he clapped his hands.

Carter looked at him with grudging admiration. "How did you—"

"It's called being smart. Now, how about we sit down and just think for a second?" Gohan asked.

"Ummmmm… no. Now, let's open these doors." Sadie stated. That was not so easily done. They were made of thick wood laced with giant steel chains and padlocked. Complete overkill.

Carter stepped forward. He tried to raise the doors by lifting his hand, which had been quite impressive the night before, only now accomplished nothing.

He shook the chains the old-fashioned way, then yanked on the padlocks. "No good," he said. Sadie turned towards Gohan.

"Yo, weirdo. You got super-strength in there?" Gohan sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine." Gohan grabbed the chain and pulled. Nothing happened.

"Well… we're waiting." Sadie smirked. Gohan gnashed his teeth. He grabbed the chain with both hands and pulled.

"Gnnnnn!" his muscles strained as he pulled back. He then placed his feet on the door. He let out a roar as a blue fire erupted around him.

"Whoa." Sadie said with wide eyes. The door trembled, but still didn't give. Gohan flipped back and landed back, panting.

"Well… that didn't work." Sadie stated with a smirk. Gohan roared in frustration as he slammed his fist into the door. The ground shook as the door rattled, but it still didn't give.

"Well… that didn't work either." Sadie stated. Gohan glared at her as the blue flames died out.

"I'd go a lot stronger, but I think I'd blow up the house." Carter blinked in surprise.

"Look! Something's happening to the door!" Carter pointed. Lights appeared on the door, which formed into hieroglyphics. They quickly faded.

"So, looks like the door's reinforced with magic. Maybe it takes magic to take it down." Carter suggested.

Ice needles tingled on the back of Sadie's neck.

"What was that word Amos used at breakfast with the saucer?"

"For 'join'?" Carter said. "Hi-nehm or something."

"No, the other one, for 'destroy'."

"Uh, ha-di. But you'd need to know magic and the hieroglyphics, wouldn't you? And even then—"

Sadie raised her hand toward the door. She pointed with two fingers and her thumb—an odd gesture she'd never made before, like a make-believe gun except with the thumb parallel to the ground.

"Ha-di!" Bright gold hieroglyphs burned against the largest padlock.

And the doors exploded. Carter hit the floor as chains shattered and splinters flew all over the Great Room. When the dust cleared, Carter got up, covered in wood shavings. Gohan was surrounded by a glowing blue shield, which he lowered as the smoke cleared. Sadie seemed to be fine. Muffin circled her feet, mewing contentedly, as if this were all very normal. Gohan looked impressed.

"Huh. Normally, I'm the guy blowing stuff up."

Carter stared at Sadie. "How exactly—"

"Don't know," she admitted. "But the library's open."

"Think you overdid it a little?" Gohan asked as he dusted himself off.

"We're going to be in so much trouble—" Carter groaned.

"We'll just figure out a way to zap the door back, won't we?" Sadie smirked.

"No more zapping, please," Carter said. "That explosion could've killed us."

"Oh, do you think if you tried that spell on a person—"

"No!" He stepped back nervously.

"That's enough!" Gohan snapped, causing them both to stare at him.

"Let's just explore the library, shall we?" Sadie smirked. Then, she stumbled. Gohan quickly caught her before she fell down.

"You okay?" he asked

"Fine," Sadie managed, though she certainly didn't feel fine.

"I'm tired"—her stomach rumbled—"and famished."

"You just ate a huge breakfast." Carter stated

It was true, but she felt as if she hadn't had food in weeks.

"Never mind," She told him. "I'll manage."

Gohan studied her skeptically. "Those hieroglyphs you created were golden. Your father and Amos both used blue. Why?"

"Maybe everyone has his own color," Sadie suggested. "Maybe you'll get hot pink." Gohan sighed

"Very funny."

"Come on, pink alien," Sadie said. "Inside we go." Gohan was amazed, to say the least. It was bigger than he'd imagined, a round chamber sunk deep into solid rock, like a giant well. This didn't make sense, as the mansion was sitting on top of a warehouse, but then again nothing else about the place was exactly normal. Not to mention, considering some of the things Gohan had seen on his world, like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he was in no position to judge.

From the platform where they stood, a staircase descended three stories to the bottom floor. The walls, floor, and domed ceiling were all decorated with multicolored pictures of people, gods, and monsters.

"It's beautiful," Gohan said.

A blue starry sky glittered on the ceiling, but it wasn't a solid field of blue. Rather, the sky was painted in a strange swirling pattern. Gohan realized it was shaped like a woman. She lay curled on her side—her body, arms, and legs dark blue and dotted with stars. Below, the library floor was done in a similar way, the green-and-brown earth shaped into a man's body, dotted with forests and hills and cities. A river snaked across his chest.

The library had no books. Not even bookshelves. Instead, the walls were honeycombed with round cubbyholes, each one holding a sort of plastic cylinder.

At each of the four compass points, a ceramic statue stood on a pedestal. The statues were half-size humans wearing kilts and sandals, with glossy black wedge-shaped haircuts and black eyeliner around their eyes.

One statue held a stylus and scroll. Another held a box. Another held a short, hooked staff. The last was empty-handed.

"Sadie. Gohan" Carter pointed to the center of the room. Sitting on a long stone table was Dad's workbag.

"What's that?" Gohan asked, baffled

"Our dad's workbag." Carter stated.

He started down the stairs, but Sadie grabbed his arm. "Hang on. What about traps?

" He frowned. "Traps?"

"Didn't Egyptian tombs have traps?"

"Well...sometimes. But this isn't a tomb. Besides, more often they had curses, like the burning curse, the donkey curse—"

"Oh, lovely. That sounds so much better."

They made it to the middle of the room with no excitement. Carter opened the bag. Still no traps or curses. He brought out the strange box Dad had used in the British Museum.

It was made of wood, and about the right size to hold a loaf of French bread. The lid was decorated much like the library, with gods and monsters and sideways-walking people.

"How did the Egyptians move like that?" Sadie wondered. "All sideways with their arms and legs out. It seems quite silly."

Gohan snorted into his hand, while Carter gave him one of his God, you're stupid looks. "They didn't walk like that in real life, Sadie."

"Well, why are they painted like that, then?"

"Ummmm… the painters were creative?" Gohan shrugged. Carter sighed

"They thought paintings were like magic. If you painted yourself, you had to show all your arms and legs. Otherwise, in the afterlife you might be reborn without all your pieces."

"Then why the sideways faces? They never look straight at you. Doesn't that mean they'll lose the other side of their face?"

Carter hesitated. "I think they were afraid the picture would be too human if it was looking right at you. It might try to become you."

"So is there anything they weren't afraid of?"

"Little sisters," Carter said. "If they talked too much, the Egyptians threw them to the crocodiles." Gohan frowned.

"Aren't siblings supposed to like each other?" Gohan asked. Sadie and Carter stared at him before roaring with laughter. Gohan simply looked puzzled.

"What?" he asked, baffled. Sadie laughed.

Then, she punched him. "Just open the bloody box."

The first thing he pulled out was a lump of white gunk. "Wax," Carter pronounced.

"Fascinating." Sadie picked up a wooden stylus and a palette with small indentations in its surface for ink, then a few glass jars of the ink itself—black, red, and gold. "And a prehistoric painting set."

Gohan pulled out several lengths of brown twine, a small ebony cat statue, and a thick roll of paper.

"What is this?" Gohan poked the paper curiously.

"Papyrus." Carter answered. He explained how the Egyptians made it from a river plant because they never invented paper. The stuff was pretty thick and rough.

Finally Sadie pulled out a wax figurine. "Ew," she said.

He was a tiny man, crudely fashioned, as if the maker had been in a hurry. His arms were crossed over his chest, his mouth was open, and his legs were cut off at the knees. A lock of human hair was wrapped round his waist.

Muffin jumped on the table and sniffed the little man. She seemed to think him quite interesting. "There's nothing here," Carter said.

"Looks can be deceiving." Gohan stated. Sadie snorted.

"What do you want?" she asked. "We've got wax, some toilet papyrus, an ugly statue—"

"Something to explain what happened to your father. How do we get him back? Who was that fiery man he summoned?" Sadie snorted.

"You talk a lot, huh? Blah blah blah. Is that all people do from your world? Must be a boring place." Gohan glared at her.

"Do you think this is a joke, Sadie? We can't just rush in blind. You must analyze your opponent fully before any type of confrontation. Know everything about them. Any detail helps. Even the slightest slip-up, any mistake, can be the difference between life or death!" Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Mr. Drama Queen."

Sadie held up the wax man. "You heard him, warty little troll. Tell us what you know."

Then, the wax man became soft and warm like flesh. He said, "I answer the call."

Sadie screamed and dropped him on his tiny head. Gohan looked shocked, and even took a step back.

"Ow!" the wax man said.

Muffin came over to have a sniff, and the little man started cursing in another language, possibly Ancient Egyptian. When that didn't work, he screeched in English: "Go away! I'm not a mouse!"

Sadie scooped up Muffin and put her on the floor. Carter's face had gone as soft and waxy as the little man's. "What are you?" he asked.

"I'm a shabti, of course!" The figurine rubbed his dented head. He still looked quite lumpish, only now he was a living lump. "Master calls me Doughboy, though I find the name insulting. You may call me Supreme-Force-Who-Crushes-His-Enemies!"

"All right, Doughboy," Sadie said.

He scowled at her.

"You weren't supposed to trigger me! Only the master does that."

"The master, meaning Dad," she guessed. "Er, Julius Kane?"

"That's him," Doughboy grumbled. "Are we done yet? Have I fulfilled my service?"

"So, Doughboy," Sadie told the lump. "You were triggered when I picked you up and gave you a direct order: Tell us what you know. Is that correct?"

Doughboy crossed his stubby arms. "You're just toying with me now. Of course that's correct. Only the master is supposed to be able to trigger me, by the way. I don't know how you did it, but he'll blast you to pieces when he finds out."

"You should be a little more nice to them." Doughboy looked at Gohan and laughed

"I don't answer to you, Otherworlder." Gohan looked surprised.

"Yeah, that's right. It's pretty obvious, your aura is all wonky. Only folks from other dimensions are like that. And trust me, they're always trouble!"

Carter cleared his throat. "Doughboy, the master is our dad, and he's missing. He's been magically sent away somehow and we need your help—"

"Master is gone?" Doughboy smiled so widely, I thought his wax face would split open. "Free at last! See you, suckers!"

He lunged for the end of the table but forgot he had no feet. He landed on his face, then began crawling toward the edge, dragging himself with his hands. "Free! Free!"

He fell off the table, but Gohan simply grabbed him and dumped him back into the magic box in one second. Doughboy tried to get out, but the box was just tall enough that he couldn't reach the rim.

"Trapped!" he wailed. "Trapped!"

"Oh, shut up," Gohan told him.

"Make me, Otherworlder!" he roared. Gohan grinned, and then held up his palm, facing Doughboy. Then, a blue light appeared in his hand, which sparked ominously.

"Wanna try that again?" Gohan growled. Doughboy was silent. Sadie cleared her throat.

"I'm the mistress now. And you'll answer my questions." Carter raised his eyebrow.

"How come you get to be in charge?"

"Because I was smart enough to activate him."

"I seem to recall that you were just joking around." Gohan stated, but Sadie ignored him.

"Now, Doughboy, first off, what's a shabti?"

"Will you let me out of the box if I tell you?"

"You have to tell me," Sadie pointed out. "And no, I won't." He sighed. "Shabti means answerer, as even the stupidest slave could tell you."

Carter snapped his fingers. "I remember now! The Egyptians made models out of wax or clay— servants to do every kind of job they could imagine in the afterlife. They were supposed to come to life when their master called, so the deceased person could, like, kick back and relax and let the shabti do all his work for eternity."

"First," Doughboy snipped, "that is typical of humans! Lazing around while we do all the work. Second, afterlife work is only one function of shabti. We are also used by magicians for a great number of things in this life, because magicians would be total incompetents without us. Third, if you know so much, why are you asking me?"

"Why did Dad cut off your legs," Sadie wondered, "and leave you with a mouth?"

"I—" Doughboy clapped his little hands over his mouth. "Oh, very funny. Threaten the wax statue. Big bully. I bet you wouldn't be so tough with that big bad otherworlder protecting you! He cut my legs off so I wouldn't run away or come to life in perfect form and try to kill him, naturally. Magicians are very mean. They maim statues to control them. They are afraid of us!"

"Would you come to life and try to kill him, had he made you perfectly?"

"Probably," Doughboy admitted. "Are we done?"

"Not by half," Sadie said. "What happened to our dad?" Doughboy shrugged. "How should I know? But I see his wand and staff aren't in the box."

"No," Carter said. "The staff—the thing that turned into a snake—it got incinerated. And the wand...is that the boomerang thing?"

"The boomerang thing?" Doughboy said. "Gods of Eternal Egypt, you're dense. Of course that's his wand."

"It got shattered," I said. "Tell me how," Doughboy demanded.

Carter told him the story. Gohan fidgeted, carefully taking in the parts that he had missed.

"This is wonderful!" Doughboy cried. "Why?" I asked. "Is Dad still alive?"

"No!" Doughboy said. "He's almost certainly dead. The five gods of the Demon Days released? Wonderful! And anyone who duels with the Red Lord—"

"Will go down once I fight him!" Gohan interrupted. Doughboy roared with laughter.

"You? You seriously think you can defeat him? He'll burn you to a crisp!" Gohan glared at him, before leaning very close.

"Ares thought the same thing. Hear what happened to him?" he whispered softly so only Doughboy could hear. If Doughboy could pale, he would have.

"Wait," Sadie said. "I order you to tell me what happened."

"Ha!" Doughboy said, quickly recovering from his apparent shock. "I only have to tell you what I know. Making educated guesses is a completely different task. I declare my service fulfilled! And not too soon!"

With that, he turned back to lifeless wax.

"Wait!" I picked him up again and shook him. "Tell me your educated guesses!" Nothing happened. "Maybe he's got a timer," Carter said. "Like only once a day.

"Or maybe you broke him." Gohan added

"Will you two idiots make a helpful suggestion! What do we do now?" Carter looked at the four ceramic statues on their pedestals. "Maybe—" "Other shabti?"

"Worth a shot." Gohan frowned

"I'm not sure if it's such a good idea to poke around randomly around here." Sadie laughed.

"Shut up, alien boy."

If the statues were answerers, they weren't very good at it. They tried holding them while giving them orders, though they were quite heavy. Well, Gohan was able to easily lift them. They tried pointing at them and shouting. Sadie and Carter tried asking nicely. They gave us no answers at all. Gohan just sat down and looked resigned.

Finally we decided to check the cubbyholes round the walls. The plastic cylinders were the kind you might find at a drive-through bank—the kind that shoot up and down the pneumatic tubes. Inside each case was a papyrus scroll. Some looked new. Some looked thousands of years old. Each canister was labeled in hieroglyphs and (fortunately) in English.

"The Book of the Heavenly Cow," Carter read on one. "What kind of name is that? What do you guys have, The Heavenly Badger?"

"No," Gohan said. "The Book of Slaying Apophis."

Muffin meowed in the corner. When Gohan looked over, her tail was puffed up.

"What's wrong with your cat?" Gohan asked.

"Apophis was a giant snake monster," Carter muttered. "He was bad news."

Muffin turned and raced up the stairs, back into the Great Room. Cats. No accounting for them.

Carter opened another scroll. "Guys, look at this."

He'd found a papyrus that was quite long, and most of the text on it seemed to be lines of hieroglyphs.

"Can either of you read any of this?" Carter asked. Gohan shook his head.

"I've never seen any writing like this, not even on my world." He answered.

Sadie frowned at the writing, and the odd thing was, she couldn't read it—except for one line at the top. "Only that bit where the title should be. It says...Blood of the Great House. What does that mean?"

"Great house," Carter mused. "What do the words sound like in Egyptian?"

"Per-roh. Oh, it's pharaoh, isn't it? But I thought a pharaoh was a king?"

"It is," Carter said. "The word literally means 'great house,' like the king's mansion. Sort of like referring to the president as 'the White House.' So here it probably means more like Blood of the Pharaohs, all of them, the whole lineage of all the dynasties, not just one guy."

"So why do I care about the pharaohs' blood, and why can't I read any of the rest?"

Carter stared at the lines. Suddenly his eyes widened. "They're names. Look, they're all written inside cartouches."

"Excuse me?" Sadie asked, because cartouche sounded like a rather rude word, and I pride myself on knowing those.

"The circles," Carter explained. "They symbolize magic ropes. They're supposed to protect the holder of the name from evil magic." He eyed Sadie. "And possibly also from other magicians reading their names."

"Oh, you're mental," Sadie said.

"Sadie," Carter said, his voice urgent. He pointed to a cartouche at the very end of the list—the last entry in what looked to be a catalogue of thousands.

Inside the circle were two simple symbols, a basket and a wave. "KN," Carter announced. "I know this one. It's our name, KANE."

"Missing a few letters, isn't it?" Gohan asked.

Carter shook his head. "Egyptians usually didn't write vowels, Gohan. Only consonants. You have to figure out the vowel sounds from context."

"They really were nutters. So that could be KON or IKON or KNEE or AKNE." Sadie stated.

"It could be," Carter agreed. "But it's our name, Kane. I asked Dad to write it for me in hieroglyphs once, and that's how he did it. But why are we in this list? And what is 'blood of the pharaohs'?"

"Maybe you are it. I think this is your family tree, guys." Gohan stated

"There's no way," Sadie protested. "Must be some kind of joke," Carter agreed. "Nobody keeps family records that far back."

"Look, I've been to a lot of places and seen a lot of things. Are you really going to just dismiss everything you've seen?" Gohan pointed out. Carter and Sadie were silent for several minutes.

"Let's keep looking," Sadie finally said.

After a few more minutes, Gohan found a picture of some of animal-headed gods, five in a row, with a starry woman figure arching over them protectively like an umbrella. Apparently, their father had released five gods. Hmm.

"Carter," Gohan called. "What's this, then?" He came to have a look and his eyes lit up. "That's it!" he announced. "These five...and up here, their mother, Nut."

"Mother?" Gohan asked.

Carter nodded. "She was the goddess of the sky." He pointed to the painted ceiling—the lady with the blue star-spangled skin, same as in the scroll. "So what about her?" Gohan asked.

Carter knit his eyebrows. "Something about the Demon Days. It had to do with the birth of these five gods, but it's been a long time since Dad told me the story. This whole scroll is written in hieratic, I think. That's like hieroglyph cursive. Can you read it, Sadie?"

Sadie shook my head. Apparently, her particular brand of insanity only applied to regular hieroglyphs.

"I wish I could find the story in English," Carter said.

"Me too." Gohan added

Just then there was a cracking noise behind them. The empty-handed clay statue hopped off his pedestal and marched towards them. The three of them scrambled to get out of his way, but he walked straight past them, grabbed a cylinder from its cubbyhole and brought it to Carter.

"It's a retrieval shabti," Sadie said. "A clay librarian!" Carter swallowed nervously and took the cylinder. "Um...thanks." The statue marched back to his pedestal, jumped on, and hardened again into regular clay. "I wonder..." Sadie faced the shabti. "Sandwich and chips, please!"

Sadly, none of the statues jumped down to serve her.

Carter uncapped the cylinder and unrolled the papyrus. He sighed with relief. "This version is in English."

As he scanned the text, his frown got deeper.

"You don't look happy," Gohan noticed.

"Because I remember the story now. The five gods...if Dad really released them, it isn't good news."

"Let me guess… world ending bad?" Gohan suggested. Carter nodded.

"Hang on," Sadie said. "Start from the beginning."

Carter took a shaky breath. "Okay. So the sky goddess, Nut, was married to the earth god, Geb."

"That would be this chap on the floor?" she tapped my foot on the big green man with the river and hills and forests all over his body.

"Right," Carter said. "Anyway, Geb and Nut wanted to have kids, but the king of the gods, Ra—he was the sun god—heard this bad prophecy that a child of Nut—"

"Child of Nut," Sadie snickered.

"Sadie…" Gohan glared at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, go on."

"—a child of Geb and Nut would one day replace Ra as king. So when Ra learned that Nut was pregnant, Ra freaked out. He forbade Nut to give birth to her children on any day or night of the year."

Sadie crossed my arms. "So what, she had to stay pregnant forever? That's awfully mean."

Carter shook his head. "Nut figured out a way. She set up a game of dice with the moon god, Khons. Every time Khons lost, he had to give Nut some of his moonlight. He lost so many times, Nut won enough moonlight to create five new days and tag them on to the end of the year."

"Oh, please," Sadie said. "First, how can you gamble moonlight? And if you did, how could you make extra days out of it?"

"You'd be surprised, Sadie." Gohan stated

"It's a story!" Carter protested. "Anyway, the Egyptian calendar had three hundred and sixty days in the year, just like the three hundred and sixty degrees in a circle. Nut created five days and added them to the end of the year—days that were not part of the regular year."

"The Demon Days," Gohan guessed. "So the myth explains why a year has three hundred and sixty-five days. And I suppose she had her children—"

"During those five days," Carter agreed. "One kid per day."

"Again, how do you have five children in a row, each on a different day?" Sadie asked

"They're gods," Carter said. "They can do stuff like that."

"That's true. In the Greek stories, the Gods could take any form they wanted. People, animals… even fire." Gohan spoke, remembering his own experience with those particular gods.

"Makes as much sense as the name Nut. But please, go on."

"So when Ra found out, he was furious, but it was too late. The children were already born. Their names were Osiris—"

"The one Dad was after."

"Then Horus, Set, Isis, and, um..." Carter consulted his scroll. "Nephthys. I always forget that one." "And the fiery man in the museum said, you have released all five."

"Exactly. What if they were imprisoned together and Dad didn't realize it? They were born together, so maybe they had to be summoned back into the world together. The thing is, one of these guys, Set, was a really bad dude. Like, the villain of Egyptian mythology. The god of evil and chaos and desert storms."

"Let me guess. Is he the one on fire?" Gohan asked.

Carter pointed to one of the figures in the picture. The god had an animal head, but Gohan couldn't quite make out which sort of animal: Dog? Anteater? Evil bunny rabbit? Whichever it was, his hair and his clothes were bright red.

"The Red Lord," Sadie said.

"Sadie, there's more," Carter said. "Those five days—the Demon Days—were bad luck in Ancient Egypt. You had to be careful, wear good luck charms, and not do anything important or dangerous on those days. And in the British Museum, Dad told Set: They'll stop you before the Demon Days are over."

"Surely you don't think he meant us," Sadie said. "We're supposed to stop this Set character?"

"Seems so." Gohan stated

Carter nodded in agreement. "And if the last five days of our calendar year still count as the Egyptian Demon Days —they'd start on December 27, the day after tomorrow."

"Looks like our goal is pretty clear. In order to save your dad… we have to defeat Set." For a minute, the room was silent.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, as if something had broken in the Great Room. Khufu began barking in alarm. Gohan groaned in exasperation.

"Of course…"

Carter, Gohan, and Sadie locked eyes. Then they ran for the stairs.


	9. A Monstrous Problem and Feline Aid

Khafu was going ballistic. He swung from column to column, bouncing along the balconies, overturning pots and statues. Then he ran back to the terrace windows, stared outside for a moment, and proceeded to go berserk again.

Muffin was also at the window. She crouched on all fours with her tail twitching as if she were stalking a bird.

"Perhaps it's just a passing flamingo," Sadie suggested hopefully.

"No, it's not." Gohan stated

They ran to the glass doors. At first none of them saw any problem. Then water exploded from the pool, and Sadie's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Two enormous creatures, most definitely not flamingos, were thrashing about with Philip of Macedonia.

Gohan couldn't make out what they were, only that they were fighting Philip two against one. They disappeared under the boiling water, and Khufu ran screaming through the Great Room again, bonking himself on the head with his empty Cheerios box, which Gohan must say was not particularly helpful.

"Longnecks," Carter said incredulously. "Did you guys see those things?"

Then one of the creatures was thrown out of the pool. It slammed into the doors right in front of the trio, and Carter and Sadie jumped back in alarm. On the other side of the glass was a very terrifying anima. Its body was like a leopard's—lean and sinewy, with golden spotted fur—but its neck was completely wrong. It was green and scaly and at least as long as the rest of its body. It had a cat's head, but no normal cat's. When it turned its glowing red eyes towards them, it howled, showing a forked tongue and fangs dripping with green venom. Gohan tensed up as he clenched his fists, ready for a fight. However, he realized Sadie's legs were shaking, and she was making a very undignified whimpering sound.

The cat-serpent jumped back into the pool to join its companion in beating up Philip, who spun and snapped but seemed unable to hurt his attackers.

"We have to help Philip!" Sadie cried. "He'll be killed!" She reached for the door handle, but Muffin growled at her. Gohan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, causing her to yelp in surprise.

Carter said, "Sadie, no! You heard Amos. We can't open the doors for any reason. The house is protected by magic. Philip will have to beat them on his own."

"But what if he can't? Philip!"

The old crocodile turned. For a second his pink reptilian eye focused on Sadie as if he could sense her concern. Then the cat-snakes bit at his underbelly and Philip rose up so that only the tip of his tail still touched the water. His body began to glow. A low hum filled the air, like an airplane engine starting up. When Philip came down, he slammed into the terrace with all his might.

The entire house shook. Cracks appeared in the concrete terrace outside, and the swimming pool split right down the middle as the far end crumbled into empty space. Then, the edge of the terrace ripped free, plunging Philip and the monsters straight into the East River. Gohan let out a low whistle.

"Stay on guard. They might come back." Gohan ordered

Sadie's whole body began to tremble. "He sacrificed himself. He killed the monsters."

"Sadie..." Carter's voice was faint. "What if Gohan's right? What if they come back?"

"Don't say that!"

"I—I recognized them, Sadie. Those creatures. Come on."

"Wait!" Gohan insisted, but Carter ran straight back to the library. Carter marched up to the shabti who'd helped them before. "Bring me the...gah, what's it called?"

"What?" Gohan asked.

"Something Dad showed me. It's a big stone plate or something. Had a picture of the first pharaoh, the guy who united Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom. His name..." His eyes lit up. "Narmer! Bring me the Narmer Plate!"

Nothing happened.

"No," Carter decided. "Not a plate. It was...one of those things that holds paint. A palette. Bring me the Narmer Palette!"

The empty-handed shabti didn't move, but across the room, the statue with the little hook came to life. He jumped off his pedestal and disappeared in a cloud of dust. A heartbeat later, he reappeared on the table. At his feet was a wedge of flat gray stone, shaped like a shield and about as long as Gohan's tail.

"No!" Carter protested. "I meant a picture of it! Oh great, I think this is the real artifact. The shabti must've stolen it from the Cairo Museum. We've got to return—"

"Hang on," Sadie said. "We might as well have a look." Gohan sighed

"Well, we already blew up one museum. Stealing from another one doesn't seem that bad in comparison." Sadie snorted

The surface of the stone was carved with the picture of a man smashing another man in the face with what looked like a spoon.

"That's Narmer with the spoon," Sadie guessed. "Angry because the other bloke stole his breakfast cereal?"

Carter shook his head. "He's conquering his enemies and uniting Egypt. See his hat? That's the crown of Lower Egypt, before the two countries united."

"The bit that looks like a bowling pin?" "You're impossible," Carter grumbled.

"He looks like Dad, doesn't he?"

"Sadie, be serious!" Gohan interrupted

"I am serious. Look at his profile."

Carter examined the stone like he was afraid to touch it. "I need to see the back but I don't want to turn it over. We might damage—"

Sadie grabbed the stone and flipped it over. "Sadie! You could've broken it!"

"That's what mend spells are for, yes?"

They examined the back of the stone, and Gohan had to admit, he was impressed by Carter's memory. Two cat- snake monsters stood in the center of the palette, their necks entwined. On either side, Egyptian men with ropes were trying to capture the creatures.

"They're called serpopards," Carter said. "Serpent leopards." "Fascinating," Sadie said. "But what are serpopards?"

"No one knows exactly. Dad thought they were creatures of chaos—very bad news, and they've been around forever. This stone is one of the oldest artifacts from Egypt. Those pictures were carved five thousand years ago."

"So why are five-thousand-year-old monsters attacking our house?"

"Probably because someone sent them to kill us." Gohan stated bluntly.

"Right. Last night, in Phoenix, the fiery man ordered his servants to capture us. He said to send the longnecks first."

"Well...good thing they're at the bottom of the East River." Gohan sighed in frustration as he covered his face.

"Why… did you just say that?"

Just then Khufu rushed into the library, screaming and slapping his head. "Suppose I shouldn't have said that," Sadie muttered.

Carter told the shabti to return the Narmer Palette, and both statue and stone disappeared. Then they followed the baboon upstairs.

The serpopards were back, their fur wet and slimy from the river, and they weren't happy. They prowled the broken ledge of the terrace, their snake necks whipping round as they sniffed the doors, looking for a way in. They spit poison that steamed and bubbled on the glass. Their forked tongues darted in and out.

"I can take them." Gohan insisted. Carter shook his head.

"Don't! If you leave the house, they'll attack us!" Carter yelled. Gohan glared.

"Well, we just can't sit here and do nothing!" Carter and Gohan quickly dissolved into arguing. Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Guys… they're all idiots." She muttered.

"Agh, agh!" Khufu picked up Muffin, who was sitting on the sofa, and offered Sadie the cat.

"I really don't think that will help," Sadie told him.

"AGH!" Khufu insisted.

Neither Muffin nor cat ended in -o, so she guessed Khufu was not trying to offer her a snack, but Sadie didn't know what he was on about. She took the cat just to shut him up.

"Mrow?" Muffin looked up at her.

"It'll be all right," Sadie promised, trying not to sound scared out of my mind. "The house is protected by magic."

"For the last time… I have been doing this kind of thing for a long time. There's a time to hide and a time to fight!"

"Gohan," Carter said. "They've found something." The serpopards had converged at the left-hand door and were intently sniffing the handle. "Isn't it locked?" Sadie asked.

Both monsters smashed their ugly faces against the glass. The door shuddered. Blue hieroglyphs glowed along the doorframe, but their light was faint.

"I don't like this," Carter murmured.

Sadie prayed that the monsters would give up. Or that perhaps Philip of Macedonia would climb back to the terrace (do crocodiles climb?) and renew the fight.

Instead, the monsters smashed their heads against the glass again. This time a web of cracks appeared. The blue hieroglyphs flickered and died.

"AGH!" Khufu screamed. He waved his hand vaguely at the cat. "Maybe if I try the ha-di spell," Sadie said.

"I wouldn't." Gohan stated

Carter shook his head in agreement. "You almost fainted after you blew up those doors. I don't want you passing out, or worse."

Then, he tugged a strange sword from one of Amos's wall displays. The blade had an odd crescent-moon curve and looked horribly impractical.

"You can't be serious," Sadie said.

"Unless—unless you've got a better idea," he stammered, his face beading with perspiration. "It's me, Gohan, you, and the baboon against those things." Gohan smirked as he raised his hands.

"I'm more than ready for a fight." Then, his hands glowed blue and sparked.

Then the serpopards struck a third time, and the door shattered. The trio backed backed up to the foot of Thoth's statue as the creatures stalked into the great room.

"Suck on this!" Then, Gohan hurled a bright blue blast at the creatures, which exploded on contact. A large gust of wind blew through the room, scattering papers and furniture everywhere.

"Nice shot." Sadie said with wide eyes. Then, the smoke faded, revealing the seropopards, completely fine.

"Huh. Looks like they're more resilient than I thought." Gohan commented.

"I might have to go super saiyan on this one." Gohan thought as he pressed his lips together."

"Is that the best you can do?" Sadie snapped in annoyance.

"Of course not! I'm just testing them out!" Gohan snapped as he brought his hands together.

Khufu threw his basketball, which bounced harmlessly off the first monster's head. Then he launched himself at the serpopard.

"Khufu, don't!" Carter yelled.

But the baboon sank his fangs into the monster's neck. The serpopard lashed around, trying to bite him. Khufu leaped off, but the monster was quick. It used its head like a bat and smacked poor Khufu in midair, sending him straight through the shattered door, over the broken terrace, and into the void. Gohan wanted to go after the baboon, but he couldn't leave Carter and Sadie. Instead, he raised his hands, which sparked ominously, ready to fight.

Carter raised his sword. Sadie pointed my hand at the first monster and tried to speak the ha-di spell, but her voice stuck in her throat.

"Mrow!" Muffin said, more insistently. Gohan smirked.

"So… who's first?" Gohan grinned. Then, Sadie interrupted.

"M-muffin, I order you to protect us."

Sadie tossed her on the floor. Just for a moment, the silver pendant on her collar seemed to gleam. Then the cat arched her back leisurely, sat down, and began licking a front paw. Gohan looked baffled.

The two red-eyed monsters bared their fangs. They raised their heads and prepared to strike. The same time, Gohan let out a roar as his hands glowed even brighter—and an explosion of dry air blasted through the room. It was so powerful, it knocked Carter and Sadie to the floor. The serpopards stumbled and backed away.

Gohan waved smoke out of his face in surprise and blinked. The cat had vanished. In her place was a woman—small and lithe like a gymnast. Her jet-black hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore a skintight leopard-skin jumpsuit and Muffin's pendant around her neck.

She turned and grinned at Sadie, and her eyes were still Muffin's—yellow with black feline pupils. "About time," she chided.

"Seriously?" Gohan sputtered with a look of pure bafflement on his face.

The serpopards got over their shock and charged the cat woman. Gohan quickly got over his shock and moved first, slamming his fist across one of the serpopards, sending it flying into the wall.

The cat lady leaped straight up, flipping three times, and landed above them, perched on the mantel.

She flexed her wrists, and two enormous knives shot from her sleeves into her hands. "A-a-ah, fun!"

She launched herself towards the second monster, dancing and dodging with incredible grace, letting it lash at her futilely.

"Poor thing," the cat woman purred. "Let me help."

Her knives flashed, and the monster's head thudded to the floor at her feet. Its body collapsed and dissolved into enormous piles of sand.

"So much for my plaything," the woman said sadly. "From sand they come, and to sand they return." Meanwhile, Gohan stared down the other monster, which roared and charged at him again. Gohan sprung forward, leaping over the creature as he brought his other hand up, a yellow disk already forming in his hands.

"DESTRUCTO DISK!" Gohan roared as he hurled the disk at the monster, cutting the creature clean right down the middle. The monster immediately dissolved into two piles of sand.

The catwoman turned towards them, and the knives shot back into her sleeves. "Carter, Sadie, we should leave. Worse will be coming."

Carter made a choking sound. "Worse? Who—how—what—" Gohan struck first.

"Wait. You have five seconds to tell us who in Olympus you are." Gohan stated coldly as he held a glowing ki ball at the woman's head. She smiled, and then flicked her wrist, so fast that Carter and Sadie barely saw it. Then, Sadie let out a shocked yelp. Gohan's right hand was clutching a knife, two fingers pressed on the blade, which an inch away from his face. Gohan narrowed his eyes and hurled the blade right back. The woman caught it with ease, and chuckled as she slid the blade into her sleeve.

"Very impressive, Otherworlder. Very impressive. Now I'm starting to see how you've done what you've done." She smiled. Gohan's eyes widened.

"Wait… are you a?" Gohan began to ask, but she made a loud purring noise.

"All in good time." The woman stretched her arms above her head with great satisfaction. "So good to be in human form again! Now, Sadie, can you open us a door through the Duat, please?"

Sadie blinked. "Um...no. I mean—I don't know how."

The woman narrowed her eyes, clearly disappointed. "Shame. We'll need more power, then. An obelisk."

"But that's in London," Carter protested. "We can't—"

"There's a nearer one in Central Park. I try to avoid Manhattan, but this is an emergency. We'll just pop over and open a portal."

"Open a portal?" Gohan stated with a baffled expression.

"A portal to where?" Sadie demanded. "Who are you, and why are you my cat?"

The woman smiled. "For now, we just want a portal out of danger. As for my name, it's not Muffin, thank you very much. It's—"

"Bast," Carter interrupted. "Your pendant—it's the symbol of Bast, goddess of cats. I thought it was just decoration but...that's you, isn't it?"

"Very good, Carter," Bast said. "Now come, while we can still make it out of here alive."


	10. Cats are Horrible Drivers

Needless to say, Bast didn't give them much time to talk about it. She ordered Carter to the library to grab his dad's magic kit, and when he came back she was arguing with Sadie about Khufu and Philip. Gohan was silent.

"We have to search for them!" Sadie insisted.

"They'll be fine," said Bast. "However, we will not be, unless we leave now." Carter raised his hand. "Um, excuse me, Miss Goddess Lady? Amos told us the house was—"

"Safe?" Bast snorted.

"Carter, the defenses were too easily breached. Someone sabotaged them." Gohan stated.

"What do you mean? Who—" Sadie asked

"Only a magician of the House could've done it." Bast answered

"Another magician?" Carter asked. "Why would another magician want to sabotage Amos's house?" Gohan sighed.

"A power play, maybe? Take out a rival to get ahead?" Gohan suggested. Bast looked at him, and let out a loud purr.

"Well well well… what a clever little monkey you are. He's quite right, of course. Magicians are devious creatures. Could be a million reasons why one would backstab another, but we don't have time to discuss it. Now, come on!"

She grabbed their arms and led them out the front door. Well, she didn't grab Gohan, but he still followed them. She'd sheathed her knives, but she still had some wicked sharp claws for fingernails that hurt as they dug into Sadie's skin. As soon as they stepped outside, the cold wind stung her eyes. The three of them climbed down a long flight of metal stairs into the industrial yard that surrounded the factory, while Gohan floated down the side. He held Carter's bag, which, to be honest, had been a bit difficult to get away from Carter, finally convincing him to keep the bag from tripping him up.

Gohan looked around as he landed on the ground. Old construction equipment lay in rusting heaps—a bulldozer, a crane with a wrecking ball, a couple of cement mixers. Piles of sheet metal and stacks of crates made a maze of obstacles between the house and the street a few hundred yards away. Gohan stayed wary. If his adventure with his demigod friends had taught him anything, not to mention his experiences in his own world, it was that quiet was never quiet.

They were about halfway across the yard when an old gray tomcat stepped in their path. One of his ears was torn. His left eye was swollen shut. Judging from his scars, he'd spent most of his life fighting. Bast crouched and stared at the cat. He looked up at her calmly.

"Thank you," Bast said.

The old tomcat trotted off toward the river.

"What was that about?" Sadie asked.

"One of my subjects, offering help. He'll spread the news about our predicament. Soon every cat in New York will be on alert."

"He was so battered," Sadie said. "If he's your subject, couldn't you heal him?"

"And take away his marks of honor? A cat's battle scars are part of his identity. I couldn't—" Suddenly Bast tensed. She dragged them behind a stack of crates.

"What is it?" Sadie whispered. Gohan slowly knelt down and clenched his fist.

"See something?" Gohan asked.

Bast flexed her wrists and her knives slid into her hands. She peeped over the top of the crates, every muscle in her body trembling. Bast's mouth twitched with excitement. Her eyes were fixed on the huge metal ball. Gohan had seen kittens look like that when they stalked catnip toy mice, or pieces of string, or rubber balls...Balls? No. Bast was an ancient goddess. Surely she wouldn't—

"This could be it." She shifted her weight. "Stay very very still." "There's no one there," Sadie hissed.

Bast lunged over the crates. She flew thirty feet through the air, knives flashing, and landed on the wrecking ball with such force that she broke the chain. The cat goddess and the huge metal sphere smashed into the dirt and went rolling across the yard. Gohan looked baffled.

"Rowww!" Bast wailed. The wrecking ball rolled straight over her, but she didn't appear hurt. She leaped off and pounced again. Her knives sliced through the metal like wet clay. Within seconds, the wrecking ball was reduced to a mound of scraps.

Bast sheathed her blades. "Safe now!" Gohan's jaw dropped.

"WHAT? You were playing with a ball!" he sputtered in disbelief.

Sadie and Carter looked at each other. "I hate to say it, but Gohan has a point." Sadie said.

"You never know," Bast said. "It could've been hostile." Gohan let out a loud snarl of frustration as he covered his face.

"Are you serious? Aren't you a little more mature than that?" Bast simply glared at him. Gohan sighed.

"What is with you gods? Why are you all so crazy?" Bast glared at Gohan.

"You thought the Greeks were crazy? You know nothing, Gohan Son." she purred with a smile. Gohan's eyes widened.

"Wait, how did you know my…"

Just then a deep boom shook the ground. Sadie looked back at the mansion. Tendrils of blue fire curled from the top windows. "Come on," Bast said. "Our time is up!"

Then, Bast borrowed a silver Lexus convertible.

"Oh, yes," she purred. "I like this one! Come along, children."

"But this isn't yours," Sadie pointed out.

"Just go with it, Sadie." Carter stated

"My dear, I'm a cat. Everything I see is mine." She touched the ignition and the keyhole sparked. The engine began to purr.

"What in Olympus does that have to do with you being a cat?" Gohan sputtered. Carter jumped in.

"Bast," Carter said, "you can't just—"

Sadie elbowed him. "We'll work out how to return it later, Carter. Right now we've got an emergency."

She pointed back toward the mansion. Blue flames and smoke now billowed from every window. But that wasn't the scary part—coming down the stairs were four men carrying a large box, like an oversize coffin with long handles sticking out at both ends. The box was covered with a black shroud and looked big enough for at least two bodies. The four men wore only kilts and sandals. Their coppery skin glinted in the sun as if made of metal.

"Oh, that's bad," Bast said. "In the car, please."

"Wait! Gohan!" Carter yelled.

"GO! I'll cover you!" Gohan roared as a golden disk formed in his hand. Sadie and Carter quickly got into the car. The four metallic guys with the box were racing across the yard, coming straight for us at an unbelievable speed. Gohan hurled the disk towards the crane. It sliced the crane in half, sending the metal frame spiraling down. It smashed in front of the four men, blowing up a large plume of dust. A second later, they charged out of the desk, completely unfazed.

"Oh come on!" Gohan snapped. Then, Bast hit the gas, tearing off into the streets.

"Come on!" Gohan roared as his fists glowed, more than ready for a fight. He hurled a blue ki blast in front of him, smashing into the men with a massive ecplosion. The men, however, didn't even seem fazed. They leapt over his head right into traffic. Gohan swore as he lowered his hands and took off into the air.

They tore through the streets of Brooklyn, weaving insanely through traffic, riding over sidewalks, narrowly missing pedestrians. Gohan wove through the sky, keeping his distance. He couldn't get an angle on the four men. He had to admit, they were fast. The four copper men with the black box were weaving in and out of traffic. They appeared to be jogging at a normal pace, but they passed cars that were doing fifty. Their bodies blurred like choppy images in an old movie, as if they were out of sync with the regular stream of time. He probably could have fired off a ki blast if he wanted to, but there was no guarantee it would work, not to mention, he'd cause a lot of damage and accidentally kill innocent people would have been caught in the blast if he tried.

Bast drove with reflexes that were...well, catlike. Any human trying to drive so fast would've had a dozen wrecks, but she got Carter and Sadie safely onto the Williamsburg Bridge.

"They're not fighting Gohan?!" Sadie said with wide eyes. Bast snorted.

"Of course not. He's not their target. He's an insignificant speck for all they're concerned."

"What are they?" Carter asked. "Shabti?"

"No, carriers." Bast glanced in the rearview mirror. "Summoned straight from the Duat. They'll stop at nothing to find their victims, throw them in the sedan—"

"The what?" Sadie interrupted.

"The large box," Bast said. "It's a kind of carriage. The carriers capture you, beat you senseless, throw you in, and carry you back to their master. They never lose their prey, and they never give up."

"But what do they want us for?" she aasked

"Trust me," Bast growled, "you don't want to know."

"Bast," I said, "if you're a goddess, can't you just snap your fingers and disintegrate those guys? Or wave your hand and teleport us away?"

"Wouldn't that be nice? But my power in this host is limited."

"You mean Muffin?" Sadie asked. "But you're not a cat anymore."

"She's still my host, Sadie, my anchor on this side of the Duat—and a very imperfect one. Your call for help allowed me to assume human shape, but that alone takes a great deal of power. Besides, even when I'm in a powerful host, Set's magic is stronger than mine."

"Could you please say something I actually understand?" Carter pleaded.

"Carter, we don't have time for a full discussion on gods and hosts and the limits of magic! We have to get you to safety."

Bast floored the accelerator and shot up the middle of the bridge. The four carriers with the sedan raced after them, blurring the air as they moved, but no cars swerved to avoid them. No one panicked or even looked at them or Gohan. Gohan was grateful to the Mist for that. He wove through the air, keeping pace with the car,

"How can people not see them?" Sadie asked. "Don't they notice four copper men in skirts running up the bridge with a weird black box? Or Gohan flying over us like a bright blue comet?"

Bast shrugged. "Cats can hear many sounds you can't. Some animals see things in the ultraviolet spectrum that are invisible to humans. Magic is similar. Did you notice the mansion when you first arrived?"

"Well...no."

"And you are born to magic," Bast said. "Imagine how hard it would be for a regular mortal."

"What about Gohan? That rule work on weirdos?" Sadie added. Bast sighed.

"Magic doesn't work on Otherworlders the way it does on us or mortals."

"What do you mean?" Carter asked.

"They're not of this world. They weren't born here or born of magic, so the same laws don't apply. There's a reason gods fear Otherworlders." Bast stated.

"Born to magic? If magic, like, runs in the family, why haven't I ever been able to do it before?" Carter asked.

Bast smiled in the mirror. "Your sister understands."

Sadie's ears turned red. "No, I don't! I still can't believe you're a goddess. All these years, you've been eating crunchy treats, sleeping on my head—"

"I made a deal with your father," Bast said. "He let me remain in the world as long as I assumed a minor form, a normal housecat, so I could protect and watch over you. It was the least I could do after —" She stopped abruptly.

A horrible thought occurred to Carter. His stomach fluttered, and it had nothing to do with how fast they were going. "After our mom's death?" Carter guessed.

Bast stared straight ahead out the windshield. Meanwhile, Gohan continued to keep up with them, waving over the bridge as the car zoomed through.

"Come on…" Gohan grunted trying to keep his eyes focused. Unfortunately, he was a bit… too focused on the car, and didn't hear the helicopter until it was too late. He looked up just in time to see the tail of a weather chopper right in front of him.

"SON OF A!" Gohan veered off, but he wasn't able to stop fast enough, and smashed into the tail of the helicopter, snapping it off and sending it spiraling down into the water with a loud splash. The helicopter spiraled out of control. Gohan gritted his teeth, but took off after the helicopter. He flew under it and pressed his hands against the underbelly, pressing up. He grunted as they slowed down, and finally managed to set the copter down on the end of the bridge. Gohan quickly took off back into the air, but to his horror, he couldn't see the car or the men.

"Crud!" Gohan swore before shooting into the city. Meanwhile, Bast continued to drive like a maniac, while Carter conrinued to converse with her.

"That's it, isn't it?" Carter said. "Dad and Mom did some kind of magic ritual at Cleopatra's Needle. Something went wrong. Our mom died and...and they released you?"

"That's not important right now," Bast said. "The point is I agreed to look after Sadie. And I will." She was hiding something, but her tone made it clear that the subject was closed.

"If you gods are so powerful and helpful," Carter said, "why does the House of Life forbid magicians from summoning you?"

Bast swerved into the fast lane. "Magicians are paranoid. Your best hope is to stay with me. We'll get as far away as possible from New York. Then we'll get help and challenge Set."

"Wait, we're not waiting for Gohan?" Carter asked.

"What help?" Sadie asked. Bast raised an eyebrow. "Why, we'll summon more gods, of course."


	11. If First You Don't Succeed, Cut Again

"Ohhhh… come on!" Gohan gnashed his teeth in frustration as he floated over the city. Unfortunately, the chopper incident had caused him to lose track of where Carter and Sadie had gone. To be frank, he didn't trust Bast, and to be honest, he felt responsible for Carter and Sadie. After all, he could relate to losing a father. Desperate, he pressed his teeth together and closed and his eyes.

"Look… I'm not sure how this works or who I pray to. I haven't known these guys very long, but just… help me find my friends, okay?" Gohan prayed before he opened his eyes.

Then, Gohan's eyes widened at the sight of a large group of cats running through a street from every direction.

"Well, that was helpful." Gohan smirked before taking off after them.

"They're still following," Sadie warned.

Sure enough, the carriers were only a block behind them, weaving around cars and trampling over sidewalk displays of tourist junk. Even worse, Gohan was nowhere to be seen.

"We'll buy some time." Bast growled deep in her throat. She yanked the wheel and swerved right onto East Houston. Just as the carriers turned the corner, a horde of cats materialized all around them. Some jumped from windows. Some ran from the sidewalks and alleys. Some crawled from the storm drains. All of them converged on the carriers in a wave of fur and claws—climbing up their copper legs, scratching their backs, clinging to their faces, and weighing down the sedan box. The carriers stumbled, dropping the box. They began blindly swatting at the cats. Two cars swerved to avoid the animals and collided, blocking the entire street, and the carriers went down under the mass of angry felines. Bast turned onto the FDR Drive, and the scene disappeared from view.

"Nice," Sadie admitted. "It won't hold them long," Bast said. "Now—Central Park!" Bast ditched the Lexus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "We'll run from here," she said. "It's just behind the museum."

When she said run, she meant it. Sadie and Carter had to sprint to keep up, and Bast wasn't even breaking a sweat. She didn't stop for little things like hot dog stands or parked cars. Anything under ten feet tall she leaped over with ease, leaving them to scramble around the obstacles as best we could.

They ran into the park on the East Drive. As soon as they turned north, the obelisk loomed above them. A little over seventy feet tall, it looked like an exact copy of the needle in London. It was tucked away on a grassy hill. There was no one around except a couple of joggers farther down the path. Unfortunately, Gohan was still nowhere to be seen.

They stopped at the obelisk's base. Bast sniffed the air as if smelling for trouble. The sun was directly overhead, but the wind ripped right through their borrowed linen clothes.

"I wish I'd grabbed something warmer," Sadie muttered. "A wool coat would be nice."

"No, it wouldn't," Bast said, scanning the horizon. "You're dressed for magic."

Sadie shivered. "We have to freeze to be magical?"

"Magicians avoid animal products," Bast said absently. "Fur, leather, wool, any of that. The residual life aura can interfere with spells."

"My boots seem all right," Sadie noted.

"Leather," Bast said with distaste. "You may have a higher tolerance, so a bit of leather won't bother your magic. I don't know. But linen clothing is always best, or cotton—plant material. At any rate, Sadie, I think we're clear for the moment. There's a window of auspicious time starting right now, at eleven thirty, but it won't last long. Get started."

Sadie blinked. "Me? Why me? You're the goddess!"

"I'm not good at portals," Bast said. "Cats are protectors. Just control your emotions. Panic or fear will kill a spell. We have to get out of here before Set summons the other gods to his cause."

"Again, we're leaving Gohan behind?" Carter asked. Sadie snorted.

"I didn't know you went for guys, Carter. Then again, I guess I can see it. He does have nice arms." Sadie grinned. Carter sputtered at her.

"What? No, I'm not gay! That's not what I meant! I just have a problem with leaving our friend behind with those psychos!" Sadie laughed.

"First of all, he is not our friend! He is some… crazy weirdo that Amos dragged along with us! He had a tail, Carter!" Sadie snapped back

"This is not the time to argue!" Bast interrupted, causing the two to stare at her.

"As I stated before, they have no interest in the Otherworlder. While you two bicker like children, Set's minions are closing in on us!"

Carter frowned. "You mean Set's got, like, other evil gods on speed dial?"

Bast glanced nervously toward the trees. "Evil and good may not be the best way to think of it, Carter. As a magician, you must think about chaos and order. Those are the two forces that control the universe. Set is all about chaos."

"But what about the other gods Dad released?" Carter persisted. "Aren't they good guys? Isis, Osiris, Horus, Nephthys—where are they?"

Bast fixed her eyes on him. "That's a good question, Carter."

A Siamese cat broke through the bushes and ran up to Bast. They looked at each other for a moment. Then the Siamese dashed away.

"The carriers are close," Bast announced. "And something else...something much stronger, closing in from the east. I think the carriers' master has grown impatient."

His heart did a flip. "Set is coming?"

"No," Bast said. "Perhaps a minion. Or an ally. My cats are having trouble describing what they're seeing, and I don't want to find out. Sadie, now is the time. Just concentrate on opening a gateway to the Duat. I'll keep off the attackers. Combat magic is my specialty."

"I still wish Gohan was here…" Carter sighed. Bast showed her pointed teeth. "I am much more deadlier than that Otherworlder."

The woods rustled, and the carriers emerged. Their sedan chair's shroud had been shredded by cat claws. The carriers themselves were scratched and dented. One walked with a limp, his leg bent backward at the knee. Another had a car fender wrapped around his neck.

The four metal men carefully set down their sedan chair. They looked at the trio and drew golden metal clubs from their belts.

"Sadie, get to work," Bast ordered. "Carter, you're welcome to help me."

The cat goddess unsheathed her knives. Her body began to glow with a green hue. An aura surrounded her, growing larger, like a bubble of energy, and lifting her off the ground. The aura took shape until Bast was encased in a holographic projection about four times her normal size. It was an image of the goddess in her ancient form—a twenty-foot-tall woman with the head of a cat. Floating in midair in the center of the hologram, Bast stepped forward. The giant cat goddess moved with her. It didn't seem possible that a see-through image could have substance, but its foot shook the ground. Bast raised her hand. The glowing green warrior did the same, unsheathing claws as long and sharp as rapiers. Bast swiped the sidewalk in front of her and shredded the pavement to concrete ribbons. She turned and smiled at Carter. The giant cat's head did likewise, baring horrible fangs that could've bitten him in half.

"This," Bast said, "is combat magic." Then, Bast launched her green war machine into the middle of the carriers. She slashed one carrier to pieces with a single swipe, then stepped on another and flattened him into a metal pancake. The other two carriers attacked her holographic legs, but their metal clubs bounced harmlessly off the ghostly light with showers of sparks.

Meanwhile Sadie stood in front of the obelisk with her arms raised, shouting: "Open, you stupid piece of rock!"

Finally Carter drew his sword. His hands were shaking so hard, it was like he had the chills.

"Sadie, I—I'm going to help Bast. Keep trying!" The two remaining carriers backed up several feet and raised their weapons. Bast looked at them and made a loud roar. Carter took a deep breath and let out a very girly scream before charging forward towards the two carriers. Then, a loud crack echoed through the air, causing Carter to stop in confusion. Then, a blur shot out of the sky and smashed into the carriers, blowing up a large cloud of smoke. A minute later, the smoke settled to reveal Gohan, standing over a pile of dust with a goofy grin on his face.

"So, what I'd miss?" Gohan asked with an amused expression. Sadie rolled her eyes.

"About time you showed up." she snapped. Gohan sighed as he strolled forward. Then, Carter's eyes opened.

"Uh-oh." Then all four carriers began to re-form. The flat ones peeled themselves off the pavement. The sliced ones' pieces clicked together like magnets, and the carriers stood up good as new.

"Huh. Most of the creatures I fight stay in pieces." Gohan remarked with surprised look.

"Help me hack them apart!" Bast called. "They need to be in smaller pieces!" Gohan pulled out his pen and uncapped it, causing Ascension to form in his hand. It gleamed in the dim light, with sparks flicking off the blade. The carriers looked surprised, and two even took a step back.

"Whoa." Carter said with wide eyes. Gohan gave Carter a smirk.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Gohan smirked before dashing forward and sliced across the carrier's chest. The carrier roared and swung at Gohan, who ducked and raised his arm. The blade smashed into Gohan's arm and shattered. Gohan looked at the leather on

"Than

Carter tried to stay out of Bast's way as she sliced and stomped. Then as soon as she disabled the second carrier, Carter went to work chopping its remains into smaller pieces. They seemed more like Play-Doh than metal, because his blade mashed them up pretty easily. Gohan slashed the carrier right across the torso, and then plunged his blade right through the carrier's chest. The carrier let out a loud screech as he arched back and glowed blue. Then, he exploded into dust.

"Wow, those lessons really paid off." Gohan made a mental note to thank Chiron and Annabeth next time he saw then. Then, he whirled and hurled Ascension, sending it spinning right into the chest of the third carrier, causing it to screech and explode as well. Another few minutes, and he was surrounded by piles of coppery rubble. Bast made a glowing fist and smashed the sedan into kindling.

"That wasn't so hard," Carter said. "What were we running for?"

Inside her glowing shell, Bast's face was coated with sweat.

"We're not safe yet," she warned. "Sadie, how's it coming?"

"It's not," Sadie complained. "Isn't there another way?"

Before Bast could answer, the bushes rustled with a new sound—like rain, except more slithery.

A chill ran up Gohan's back. "What...what is that?" he asked as he picked up his sword.

"No," Bast murmured. "It can't be. Not her."

Then the bushes exploded. A thousand brown creepy-crawlies poured from the woods in a carpet of grossness—all pincers and stinging tails.

"Scorpions!" Carter squealed with a look of pure terror on his face.

"Ick!" Gohan's face brunched up in disgust.

"Sadie!" Bast called urgently. "Nothing!" Sadie moaned.

The scorpions kept coming—thousands upon thousands. Out of the woods a woman appeared, walking fearlessly through the middle of the arachnids. She wore brown robes with gold jewelry glinting around her neck and arms. Her long black hair was cut Ancient Egyptian–style with a strange crown on top. Then Gohan realized it wasn't a crown—she had a live, supersize scorpion nesting on her head. Millions of the little nasties swirled around her like she was the center of their storm.

"Serqet," Bast growled.

"The scorpion goddess," Carter guessed. Maybe that should've terrified him, but he was already pretty much at his maximum. "Can you take her?"

Bast's expression didn't reassure me. Then, Carter turned towards Gohan.

"Can you?" Gohan looked at Serqet.

"Well… she's certainly a new one. She's certainly a bit tougher, and more spread out. So…" Gohan clenched his fists together and let out a loud roar as the air shimmered around him. Then, a brilliant golden light filled the air as Gohan went Super Saiyan.

"Lets upgrade." Gohan smirked.

"Okay… now that's cool." Sadie said with wide eyes. Bast hissed.

"Carter, Sadie," she said, "this is going to get ugly. Get to the museum. Find the temple. It may protect you. Otherworlder, you're with me." Gohan glared at her.

"I have a name, you know!" Gohan snapped.

"What temple?" Carter asked. "And what about you?" Sadie added.

"We'll be fine. I'll catch up." Gohan gave Sadie and Carter a confident smile as his aura danced around him.

"Go!" he ordered as Bast turned her giant green cat warrior to face the mass of scorpions.

Carter grabbed Sadie's arm and they ran. Gohan chuckled as he turned to look at Serqet. Serqet's pale skin glistened like an insect shell. Her eyes were beady black. Her long, dark hair was unnaturally thick, as if made from a million bristling bug antennae. And when she opened her mouth, sideways mandibles snapped and retracted outside her regular human teeth.

"Otherworlder… this is not your fight. Leave or die." She spoke in a raspy voice. Gohan smiled.

"Sorry, I'm not really good at following orders." Gohan answered as he raised his sword. The goddess crackled with laughter.

"Celestial Bronze… foolish brat! You think that piece of tin will harm me?" she screeched. The scorpions clicked their pincers together, filling the air.

"Well… lets find out." Gohan chuckled. Then, he charged.


	12. Scorpions Hurt A Lot!

**Hi everyone! Here's another chapter in this exciting saga. And more exciting news: work on Gohan and The Sea of Monsters has begun! I will release chapters for that story, alongside this novel.**

Gohan dashed forward, planning to slice the goddess in two. However, before his blade could even touch her, she seemed to dissolve, replaced by a swarm of scorpions that swelled in front of him, growing over him by at least three feet.

"Yikes!" Gohan shot into the air, a second before the mass of scorpions smashed into the ground. He whipped back and fired a bright yellow ki blast, blowing a hole in the mass of scorpions. However, more simply filled the hole and continued on going. Gohan groaned as he recapped Ascension, since it was basically useless in this situation. He fired off several more ki blasts, but it didn't work either. The blasts annihilated hundreds more, but the scorpions continued to swarm. Gohan hovered in the air, his mind racing. While it was true that poison and venom didn't work the same on Gohan the way it did on normal people, he was pretty sure he couldn't survive getting stung by hundreds of scorpions.

Meanwhile, a mass of scorpions had crawled up Bast's glowing green legs and were wriggling into the hologram like it was gelatin. Bast smashed hundreds of them with her feet and fists, but there were simply too many. Soon they were up to her waist, and her ghostly shell began to flicker. Meanwhile, the brown-robed goddess advanced slowly, and Gohan had a feeling she would be worse than any number of scorpions. Suddenly, an idea came to him... though he had a feeling that he was going to regret it. He pressed his arms together and began to spin around rapidly, like a top. Then, a funnel appeared around Gohan, which started to suck in the scorpions. Soon, it was like a full-fledged tornado, sucking in everything around it. Gohan then shot downwards and slammed into the ground, sending wind blowing in every direction. When the smoke faded, the plaza was free of scorpions.

The green light from Bast faded as she shrunk down to normal and took several deep breaths.

"Very impressive, Otherworlder." Gohan held up one hand, and then proceeded to vomit onto the floor.

"Soooo diiizzzzyyyy." Gohan mumbled as he wiped his face struggled to regain his balance. Then, Bast's eyes narrowed.

"Prepare yourself Otherworlder, for this battle is far from over." Gohan blinked as his vision finally merged together. Now, he could see that scorpions were starting to appear again. A raspy laugh echoed through the air as Serqet reformed at the edge of the plaza.

"Okay, come on!" Gohan grinned as he took several stumbles and regained his balance.

"No." Gohan looked at Bast with a baffled expression.

"Protect Carter and Sadie. I'll hold her off." Gohan opened his mouth to protest, but a glare shut him up.

"Go! Protect my kittens!" Bast ordered as she began to glow green. Gohan nodded, and then shot off into the city.

Meanwhile, Carter pulled Sadie through a row of bushes. They burst onto Fifth Avenue, which seemed ridiculously normal after the magic battle. They ran down the sidewalk, shoved through a knot of pedestrians, and climbed the steps of the Met.

A banner above the entrance announced some sort of special Christmas event. They pushed straight inside.

Several security guards yelled at them as they dashed into the exhibits. By luck, they ended up in the Egyptian area, in front of a reconstructed tomb sort of place with narrow corridors.

"Come on," Sadie said. They slipped inside the exhibit, which proved quite enough to lose the security guards, or perhaps they had better things to do than pursue naughty children. When they popped out again, they sneaked around until they were sure that they weren't being followed. The Egypt wing wasn't crowded—just a few clumps of old people and a foreign tour group with a guide explaining a sarcophagus in French. "Et voici la momie!"

Strangely, no one seemed to notice the enormous sword on Carter's back, which surely must've been a security issue. A few old people did give them odd looks, that was more likely because the two of them were dressed in linen pajamas, drenched in sweat, and covered in grass and leaves.

Sadie found an empty room and pulled Carter aside. The glass cases were full of shabti. A few days earlier she wouldn't have given them a second thought. Now, she kept glancing at the statues, sure they'd come to life any minute and try to bash her on the head.

"What now?" she asked Carter. "Did you see any temple?"

"No." He knit his eyebrows as if trying hard to remember. "I think there's a rebuilt temple down that hall...or is that in the Brooklyn Museum? Maybe the one in Munich? Sorry, I've been to so many museums with Dad that they all get mixed together."

Sadie sighed in exasperation. "Poor boy, forced to travel the world, skip school, and spend time with Dad while I get a whole two days a year with him!"

"Hey!" Carter turned on her with surprising force. "You get a home! You get friends and a normal life and don't wake up each morning wondering what country you're in! You don't—"

The glass case next to us shattered, spraying glass at our feet. Carter looked at her, bewildered. "Did we just—"

"Like my exploding birthday cake," Sadie grumbled, trying not to let on how startled she was. "You need to control your temper."

"Me?"

"You both need to!" Both whirled to see Gohan standing in the doorway with an annoyed expression on his face.

"You!" Sadie glared at Gohan, who still looked a little green from his tornado trick.

"Where's Bast?" Carter asked.

"Buying us time. Look, we can debate about why girls are so crazy later, but we really need to get going." Gohan panted.

"WHAT?" Sadie shrieked

Alarms began to blare. Red lights pulsed through the corridor. A garbled voice came on the loudspeaker and said something about proceeding calmly to the exits. The French tour group ran past them, screaming in panic, followed by a crowd of remarkably fast old people with walkers and canes.

"Ohhh… that's not good." Gohan blinked.

"Let's finish arguing later, shall we? I can kill this sexist idiot later." Sadie told Carter. "Come on!"

"Hey!" Gohan complained.

They ran down another corridor, and the sirens died as suddenly as they'd started. The blood-red lights kept pulsing in eerie silence. Then Sadie heard it: the slithering, clacking sounds of scorpions.

"Well, that wasn't very long." Gohan grumbled in annoyance.

"What about Bast?" Sadie voice choked up. "Is she—"

"Don't think about it," Carter said, though, judging from his face, that's exactly what he was thinking about. "Keep moving!"

"If we survive this, I think I'm going to develop a fear of scorpions!" Gohan grumbled.

Soon they were hopelessly lost. They passed hieroglyphic scrolls, gold jewelry, sarcophagi, statues of pharaohs, and huge chunks of limestone.

They saw no one, but the slithering sounds grew louder no matter which way they ran. Finally Sadie rounded a corner and smacked straight into someone.

She yelped and scrambled backwards, only to stumble into Carter, who then fell back right into Gohan. They ended up in a large, uncomfortable pile.

"Get off! And get that sword out of my face! Come on, these clothes aren't exactly covering everything!" Gohan complained.

At first Sadie didn't recognize the girl standing in front of them, which seems strange, looking back on it. Perhaps she was using some sort of magic aura, or perhaps she just didn't want to believe it was her.

She looked a bit taller than Sadie. Probably older, too, but not by much. Her black hair was trimmed along her jawline and longer in the front so that it swept over her eyes. She had caramel-colored skin and pretty, vaguely Arab features. Her eyes—lined in black kohl, Egyptian style—were a strange amber color that was either quite beautiful or a bit scary; Sadie couldn't decide which. She had a backpack on her shoulder, and wore sandals and loose-fitting linen clothes like their. She looked as if she were on her way to a martial arts class.

Sadie then realized that the girl was the same girl from the British Museum. Before she could say anything, Carter and Gohan sprang to their feet. Carter moved in front of Sadie and brandished his sword as if trying to protect her, while Gohan's hands sparked ominously.

"Get—get back!" Carter stammered. Gohan glared at him.

"What he said! Or I'll vaporize you!" Gohan added

The girl reached into her sleeve and produced a curved white piece of ivory—an Egyptian wand.

She flicked it to one side, and Carter's sword flew out of his hands and clattered to the floor. She then whirled towards Gohan, but he was faster. A bright ki blast hit her in the stomach, sending her flying back into the adjourning wall.

"Dude!" Carter looked shocked, but Gohan didn't even pause as he pulled out his pen and strode forward, uncapping the blade and placing the tip at her neck.

"I told you not to move. Not, don't embarrass yourself," Gohan said sternly. The girl coughed as she looked up at Gohan, her eyes flicking towards his sword.

"Celestial bronze… you're one of Chiron's." Gohan looked surprised.

"How do you know about that?" he demanded. She snorted.

"I don't have time for this. Where is Amos?"

Carter looked too stunned to speak. The girl turned towards him. Her golden eyes were both beautiful and scary.

"Hey, focus on me!" Gohan ordered. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Well?" she demanded.

"Amos is gone. He left this morning." Sadie spoke up.

"Sadie! No talking to the stranger!" Gohan ordered. Sadie snarled.

"You're not the boss of me!" she stated.

"And the cat demon?" the girl asked.

"Seriously! No talking! Carter, get your sword!" Gohan stated, although there was a nervous twing in his voice.

"That's my cat," Sadie said. "And she's a goddess, not a demon. She saved us from the scorpions!"

Carter unfroze. He snatched up his sword and pointed it at the girl again.

"Who are you?" Gohan demanded.

"What do you want?" Carter added

"My name is Zia Rashid." She tilted her head as if listening.

Right on cue, the entire building rumbled. Dust sprinkled from the ceiling, and the slithering sounds of scorpions doubled in volume behind them.

"And right now," Zia continued, sounding a bit disappointed, "I must save your miserable lives. Let's go. Care to lift your sword?" She asked with an annoyed expression.

Gohan glared at her.

"Just do it, dumbass!" Sadie snapped. Gohan sighed, but raised the sword and capped it. Zia stood up and dusted herself off.

"One wrong move, I'll end you." Zia chuckled.

"You don't have the stomach." She stated as she passed him

"Damn!" Sadie laughed.

Zia passed a case full of statues and casually tapped the glass with her wand. Tiny granite pharaohs and limestone gods stirred at her command. They hopped off their pedestals and crashed through the glass. Some wielded weapons. Others simply cracked their stone knuckles. They let the four of them pass, but stared down the corridor behind us as if waiting for the enemy.

"Hurry," Zia told us. "These will only—"

"Buy us time," Sadue guessed. "Yes, we've heard that before."

"You talk too much," Zia said without stopping.

"That, we agree on." Gohan stated coldly. Then, they emerged into a massive room.

"Whoa," Carter said. Gohan couldn't help agreeing with him. The place was extremely whoa.

The room was the size of a football stadium. One wall was made completely of glass and looked out on the park. In the middle of the room, on a raised platform, an ancient building had been reconstructed. There was a freestanding stone gateway about eight meters tall, and behind that an open courtyard and square structure made of uneven sandstone blocks carved all over on the outside with images of gods and pharaohs and hieroglyphs. Flanking the building's entrance were two columns bathed in eerie light.

"An Egyptian temple," Sadie guessed.

"The Temple of Dendur," Zia said. "Actually it was built by the Romans—"

"When they occupied Egypt," Carter said, like this was delightful information. "Augustus commissioned it."

"Yes," Zia said.

"Fascinating," Sadie murmured. "Would you two like to be left alone with a history textbook?"

Zia scowled at her. "At any rate, the temple was dedicated to Isis, so it will have enough power to open a gate."

"To summon more gods?" Sadie asked.

Zia's eyes flashed angrily. "Accuse me of that again, and I will cut out your tongue. I meant a gateway to get you out of here."

"What do you mean?" Gohan demanded. Zia chuckled.

"You Greeks are so limited." Gohan's cheeks turned red as they followed Zia up the steps and through the temple's stone gateway.

The courtyard was empty, abandoned by the fleeing museum visitors, which made it feel quite creepy. Giant carvings of gods stared down at Gohan. Hieroglyphic inscriptions were everywhere.

Zia stopped at the front steps of the temple. She held up her wand and wrote in the air. A familiar hieroglyph burned between the columns. He waited for something to blow up, but the hieroglyph simply faded.

"Ummm… what was that?" Gohan stated.

"Open." Sadie answered.

Zia opened her backpack. "We'll make our stand here until the gate can be opened."

"Why not just open it now?" Carter asked.

"Portals can only appear at auspicious moments," Zia said. "Sunrise, sunset, midnight, eclipses, astrological alignments, the exact time of a god's birth—"

"Oh, come on," Gohan said. "How can you possibly know all that?"

"It takes years to memorize the complete calendar," Zia said. "But the next auspicious moment is easy: high noon. Ten and a half minutes from now."

"Why should we trust you?" Gohan asked. "As I recall, at the British Museum, you wanted to gut all of us with a knife."

"That would've been simpler." Zia sighed. "Unfortunately, my superiors think you might be innocents. So for now, I can't kill you. But I also can't allow you to fall into the hands of the Red Lord. And so...you can trust me. If Chiron were here, boy, he would tell you that I could be trusted." Gohan looked stunned.

"Well, I'm convinced," Sadie said. "I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And who's Chiron?"

Zia reached in her bag and took out four little statues—animal-headed men, each about five centimeters tall. She handed them to Sadie. "Put the Sons of Horus around us at the cardinal points."

"Excuse me?"

"North, south, east, west." She spoke slowly, as if I were an idiot.

"I know compass directions! But—"

"That's north." Zia pointed out the wall of glass. "Figure out the rest."

Sadie did what she asked, though she didn't see how the little men would help. Meanwhile, Zia gave Carter a piece of chalk and told him to draw a circle around them, connecting the statues.

"Magic protection," Carter said. "Like what Dad did at the British Museum." "Yes," Sadie grumbled. "And we saw how well that worked."

Carter ignored her. He was so eager to please Zia that he jumped right to the task of drawing his sidewalk art. Gohan sighed.

"Why in Olympus should I trust you? Look, I've been doing a pretty good job on my own!" Zia laughed.

"Oh yes, I can see that. Well done." Then Zia took something else from her bag—a plain wooden rod. She spoke a word under her breath, and the rod expanded into a two-meter-long black staff topped with a carved lion's head. She twirled it around single-handedly like a baton—just showing off, while holding the wand in her other hand.

Carter finished the chalk circle as the first scorpions appeared at the gallery's entrance. "How much longer on that gate?" Sadie asked, hoping she didn't sound as terrified as she felt.

"Stay inside the circle no matter what," Zia said. "When the gate opens, jump through. And keep behind me!"

She touched her wand to the chalk circle, spoke another word, and the circle began to glow dark red.

Hundreds of scorpions swarmed towards the temple, turning the floor into a living mass of claws and stingers. Then the woman in brown, Serqet, entered the gallery. She smiled at them coldly.

"We meet again, Otherworlder." She stated coldly as she stared at Gohan. He gnashed his teeth.

"Suck ki blast!" Gohan roared as he fired a bright ki blast, which slammed into the goddess and blew up a large plume of smoke. When it faded, Serqet was standing in the same spot as before, although the ground was cracked.

"Very impressive." Zia stated with an amused smile.

"Shut it!" Gohan snapped.

"Zia," Sadie said, "that's a goddess. She defeated Bast. What chance do you have?"

Zia held up her staff and the carved lion's head burst into flames—a small red fireball so bright, it lit the entire room. "I am a scribe in the House of Life, Sadie Kane. I am trained to fight gods."


	13. Scorpions Really Suck

The glowing circle round them seemed like insignificant protection against the millions of arachnids crawling over one another, many layers deep, and the woman in brown, who was even more horrible. Gohan was definitely sure that if he survived this, he was going to have a fear of scorpions. He was starting to understand Annabeth's fear of spiders.

"Mental note to self. Apologize to Annabeth next time I see her." Gohan thought.

The goddess stopped about twenty meters away, studying us. Her hateful black eyes fixed on Zia. "Give me the younglings and the Otherworlder."

Her voice was harsh and raspy, as if she hadn't spoken in centuries.

Zia crossed her staff and wand. "I am mistress of the elements, Scribe of the First Nome. Leave or be destroyed."

"It's actually harder than it looks." Gohan muttered to himself, earning a glare from Zia.

Serqet clicked her mandibles in a gruesome foamy grin. Some of her scorpions advanced, but when the first one touched the glowing lines of their protective circle, it sizzled and turned to ashes. The smell was horrific.

The rest of the horrible things retreated, swirling round the goddess and crawling up her legs. With a shudder, Gohan realized they were wriggling into her robes. After a few seconds, all the scorpions had disappeared into the brown folds of her clothes.

The air seemed to darken behind Serqet, as if she were casting an enormous shadow. Then the darkness rose up and took the form of a massive scorpion tail, arcing over Serqet's head. It lashed down at them at blazing speed, but Zia raised her wand and the sting glanced off the ivory tip with a hissing sound. Steam rolled off Zia's wand, smelling of sulfur. Gohan roared as a glowing disk formed in his hand, which he hurled at the tail. The disk slashed clean through the tail, sending it tumbling to the ground with a loud thump. The goddess let out a screech of rage as she stumbled back. Her tail let our a loud hissing noise and dissolved into a mass of scorpions, which quickly scurried back to the goddess.

Zia pointed her staff towards the goddess, engulfing her body in fire. Serqet screamed and staggered backwards, but the fire died almost instantly. It left Serqet's robes seared and smoking, but the goddess looked more enraged than hurt.

"Your days are past, magician. The House is weak. Lord Set will lay waste to this land."

Zia threw her wand like a boomerang. It smashed into the ground and exploded in a blinding flash of light. Serqet lurched back and averted her eyes, and as she did, Zia reached into her sleeve and brought out something small—something closed inside her fist.

Then Zia did something reckless: she leaped out of the magic circle—the very thing she'd warned them not to do.

"Zia!" Carter called. "The gate!"

Out of instinct, Gohan glanced behind himself, and his heart almost stopped. The space between the two columns at the temple's entrance was now a vertical tunnel of sand, as if he were looking into the funnel of an enormous sideways hourglass. He could feel it tugging at him, pulling him towards it with magical gravity. Now, Gohan had seen a lot of strange things on both this world and his old one. He had been in a spaceship, on an alien planet, an empty void, a demigod camp, Mount Olympus… you get the picture. But, this definitely was in a class on its own.

"I'm not going in there," Sadie insisted, but another flash of light brought her attention back to Zia.

She and the goddess were involved in a dangerous dance. Zia twirled and spun with her fiery staff, and everywhere she passed, she left a trail of flames burning in the air. Gohan had to admit it: Zia was almost as graceful and impressive as Bast.

Gohan wanted to help her, but he had to admit, he wasn't sure how, since none of his attacks seemed to have any effect on this goddess. Then, he noticed Sadie slowly moving towards the edge of the circle.

"Sadie!" Gohan grabbed her and pulled her back. "What are you thinking?"

She stared at Zia and mumbled in a sort of trance, "She's going to use ribbons. They won't work."

"What?" Gohan demanded. "Come on, we've got to go through the gate!"

Just then Zia opened her fist and small red tendrils of cloth fluttered into the air. Ribbons. They zipped about like living things—like eels in water—and began to grow larger.

Serqet was still concentrating on the fire, trying to keep Zia from caging her. At first she didn't seem to notice the ribbons, which grew until they were several meters long. Gohan counted five, six, seven of them in all. They zipped around, orbiting Serqet, ripping through her shadow scorpion as if it were a harmless illusion. Finally they wrapped around Serqet's body, pinning her arms and legs. She screamed as if the ribbons burned her. She dropped to her knees, and the shadow scorpion disintegrated into an inky haze. Gohan had to admit, he was impressed.

Zia spun to a stop. She pointed her staff at the goddess's face. The ribbons began to glow, and the goddess hissed in pain, cursing in a language he didn't know.

"I bind you with the Seven Ribbons of Hathor," Zia said. "Release your host or your essence will burn forever."

"Your death will last forever!" Serqet snarled. "You have made an enemy of Set!"

Zia twisted her staff, and Serqet fell sideways, writhing and smoking.

"I will...not..." the goddess hissed. But then her black eyes turned milky white, and she lay still.

"The gate!" Carter interrupted. "Zia, come on! I think it's closing!"

He was right. The tunnel of sand seemed to be moving a bit more slowly. The tug of its magic did not feel as strong.

Zia approached the fallen goddess. She touched Serqet's forehead, and black smoke billowed from the goddess's mouth. Serqet transformed and shrank until we were looking at a completely different woman wrapped in red ribbons. She had pale skin and black hair, but otherwise she didn't look anything like Serqet. She looked, well, human.

"Who is that?" Gohan asked. "The host," Zia said. "Some poor mortal who—"

She looked up with a start. The black haze was no longer dissipating. It was getting thicker and darker again, swirling into a more solid form.

"Impossible," Zia said. "The ribbons are too powerful. Serqet can't re-form unless—"

"Well, she is re-forming," Carter yelled, "and our exit is closing! Let's go!"

Gohan watched the black cloud take the shape of a two-story-tall scorpion—a very angry scorpion—and made a decision.

"Get your butt into that portal Sadie, or I'll throw you in there!" Gohan slammed his hands together, forcing out a massive shock wave that blew the cloud apart, although she quickly began to reform.

"Coming!" Sadie yelled. "Zia!" Carter yelled. "Now!"

"Perhaps you're right," the magician decided. She turned, and together they ran and plunged straight into the swirling vortex.


	14. It's A Small World Underground

Everything went dark. Gohan's stomach tingled with that top-of-the-roller-coaster weightlessness as he hurtled forward. He may fly a lot, but this feeling was different than that. Hot winds whipped around him, and his skin burned.

Then, Gohan tumbled out onto a cold tile floor, and was then buried under everyone else.

The first thing he noticed was the fine layer of sand covering his body like powdered sugar. It was really unpleasant. Gohan really hated sand. It gets everywhere, and it's really annoying to get rid of. Then, his eyes adjusted to the harsh light and found himself in a big building like a shopping mall, with crowds bustling around them. No...not a mall. It was a two-level airport concourse, with shops, lots of windows, and polished steel columns. Outside, it was dark, so he knew that must be in a different time zone. Announcements echoed over the intercom in a language that Gohan couldn't understand in the slightest.

Sadie spit sand out of her mouth. "Yuck!"

"Come on," Zia said. "We can't stay here."

Gohan struggled to his feet. People were streaming past—some in Western clothes, some in robes and headscarves. A family arguing in another weird language rushed by and almost ran over Gohan with their suitcases.

"I can't understand a word anyone's saying!" Gohan groaned as he climbed to his feet. Carter groaned as he dusted himself off.

"Well, that's Arabic over the speakers, that family's speaking German, and that one's speaking French…"

Then Carter turned and saw something he recognized. In the middle of the concourse stood a life-size replica of an Ancient Egyptian boat made from glowing display cases—a sales counter for perfume and jewelry.

"This is the Cairo airport," Carter said.

"Where?" Gohan asked with a confused look. Carter gave him a surprised glance.

"Egypt." Gohan still looked confused.

"Yes," Zia said. "Now, let's go!"

"Why the rush? Can Serqet...can she follow us through that sand gate?" Sadie asked

Zia shook her head. "An artifact overheats whenever it creates a gate. It requires a twelve-hour cooldown before it can be used again. But we still have to worry about airport security. Unless you'd like to meet the Egyptian police, you'll come with me now." Gohan grumbled.

"I don't exactly have a good track record with police." Gohan stated, remembering the vents of the past summer.

She grabbed their arms (excluding Gohan) and steered them through the crowd. They must've looked like beggars in their old- fashioned clothes, covered head-to-toe in sand. It would have been even worse if Gohan's tail was sticking out, but thankfully, he was keeping it wrapped around his waist, so that it appeared like a fur belt. People gave them a wide berth, but nobody tried to stop them.

"Why are we here?" Sadie demanded.

"To see the ruins of Heliopolis," Zia said.

"Inside an airport?" Sadie asked. Carter remembered something Dad had told him years ago, and his scalp tingled.

"Sadie, the ruins are under us." He looked at Zia. "That's right, isn't it?"

She nodded. "The ancient city was pillaged centuries ago. Some of its monuments were carted away, like Cleopatra's two needles. Most of its temples were broken down to make new buildings. What was left disappeared under Cairo's suburbs. The largest section is under this airport." Gohan frowned, and then tapped his foot curiously on the floor.

"Stop that." Zia glared at him.

"Anyway, how does that help us?" Sadie asked.

Zia kicked open a maintenance door. On the other side was a broom closet. Zia muttered a command —"Sahad"—and the image of the closet shimmered and disappeared, revealing a set of stone steps leading down.

"Because not all Heliopolis is in ruins," Zia said. "Follow closely. And touch nothing."

The stairs must've led down about seven million miles, because they descended forever. The passage had been made for miniature people, too. They had to crouch and crawl most of the way, and even so, Gohan bonked his head on the ceiling a dozen times. Thankfully, Gohan was able to light the way a bit by going Super Saiyan, as Zia led the way.

"Well, this is nice. Now you're the human flashlight! OW!" Sadie laughed behind Gohan, but was quickly cut off by his tail slapping her across the face.

"Try something, I dare you." Sadie was silent the rest of the way. This gave Gohan time to think a bit as he followed Zia down the tunnel.

"Now, Zia. About this House of Life…" she paused and glared at him.

"The Chief Lector will answer any questions you have." She answered briskly before continuing. Gohan wasn't exactly satisfied with that answer, but he remembered Chiron's warning and decided to keep his mouth shut.

Finally, they reached the bottom. The tunnel opened up, and Zia stopped abruptly. After Gohan's eyes adjusted, he saw why. They were standing at the edge of a chasm. Well, that really didn't bother him, since he could fly, as much as it would Carter or Sadie.

A single wooden plank spanned the void. On the opposite ledge, two jackal-headed granite warriors flanked a doorway, their spears crossed over the entrance.

Sadie sighed as she peeped over Gohan's shoulder. "Please, no more psychotic statues." Gohan frowned as he changed back to normal.

"Do not joke," Zia warned. "This is an entrance to the First Nome, the oldest branch of the House of Life, headquarters for all magicians. My job was to bring you here safely, but I cannot help you cross. Each magician must unbar the path for herself, and the challenge is different for each supplicant. No exceptions." She looked at Gohan at that last part. That did it. Gohan finally felt all the frustration from before explode, and before he realized what he was doing, he was already shooting across the ravine, only faintly hearing the shocked yells of Carter and Sadie.

As he got closer to the opposite side, the doorway between the two statues began to glow, like a curtain of red light. Gohan took a deep breath as he stopped and waited to see what came next.

Then the first dagger shot out of the tunnel.

Gohan instantly moved. The dagger should've impaled him in the chest, but his hand shot out and caught the blade, which was less than an inch from his face. He chuckled as he tossed the knife into the ravine.

"That the best you can do?" Gohan yelled with a grin. As if to answer him, dozens of arrows shot out of the light. Gohan weaved, twirled, and fired ki blasts to counter the arrows. Then, he uncapped Ascension and charged, slicing arrows left and right, until he was surrounded by shattered pieces of wood.

"Come on!" Gohan roared as he advanced to the end of the plank, and slashed through the red light, which flickered and died. He waited for the statues to come alive, but nothing happened. The only sound was a dagger clattering against the rocks in the chasm far below.

The doorway began to glow again. The red light coalesced into a strange form: a five-foot-tall bird with a man's head. Gohan raised his sword and began to glow, ready to attack, but Zia yelled, "Gohan, no!"

The bird creature folded his wings. His eyes, lined with kohl, narrowed as they studied him. A black ornamental wig glistened on his head, and his face was etched with wrinkles. One of those fake braided pharaoh beards was stuck on his chin like a backward ponytail. He didn't look hostile, except for the red flickering light all around him, and the fact that from the neck down he was the world's largest killer turkey. And then… Gohan was plunged into black. It was like all his senses shut off. He couldn't see or hear anything. He groped out in front him, but failed to touch anything.

"Why are you here?" a deep voice echoed. Gohan was taken aback.

"What?" Gohan asked.

"Why are you here?" The voice repeated.

"Ummm… to save the world? Again?" Gohan was met with silence. He took this to mean that he didn't get it right.

"To help Carter and Sadie? To beat Set?" This time, the voice spoke again.

"Why?" the voice demanded

"Because he's a bad guy?"

"Where do your loyalties lie?" the voice demanded.

"What does that mean?" Gohan yelled.

"You serve the Greeks. The gods of Olympus." The voice stated. Gohan was startled.

"No I don't!" he answered.

"And yet, do you not ally yourself with demigods, such as the son of Poseidon and a daughter of Athena? Did you not aid them in recovering the Master Bolt of Zeus, and in doing so, avert a civil war between the gods?

"Well… yeah, but"

"Do you not wield a fragment of the Master Bolt, which you received as a gift from Zeus himself? The one that you are currently wearing even as we speak?" Now Gohan was getting mad.

"You miss the part where I fought Ares?" the ground seemed to rumble beneath Gohan's feet.

"Answer the question." The voice demanded.

"If you're asking if I'm an agent of Olympus, I'm not! If you're asking if I'll always help my friends, then the answer is yes! No matter who they are or who their parents are!" Then, Gohan found himself standing in front of the bird creature again.

The bird creature scratched at the stone floor. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled. "Farewell, Otherwolder." he told Gohan.

Zia gasped. She, Carter and Sadie were standing behind him now, their faces pale. Apparently they'd managed to cross the chasm without his noticing.

Finally Zia seemed to collect herself. She bowed to the bird creature. Sadie and Carter followed her example.

The creature winked at Gohan, as if they'd just shared a joke. Then he vanished. The red light faded. The statues retracted their arms, uncrossing their spears from the entrance.

"That's it?" Gohan asked. "A interrogation from a giant turkey?"

Zia looked at him with something like fear. "That was not a turkey, Gohan. That was a ba." Gohan sighed with frustration.

"Again, not familiar with these terms. That mean another monster?"

"A human soul," Zia said. "In this case, a spirit of the dead. A magician from ancient times, come back to serve as a guardian. They watch the entrances of the House."

She studied his face as if he'd just developed some terrible rash. "What?" Gohan demanded. "Why are you looking at me that way?" "Nothing," she said. "We must hurry." She squeezed by him on the ledge and disappeared into the tunnel, quickly followed by Carter. Sadie was staring at Gohan too.

"What happened? You were staring at that guy for like 5 minutes like a rock." Gohan glanced at Sadie.

"Just a few questions." Gohan stated before following Carter and Zia.

They passed through the tunnel and entered a vast underground city of halls and chambers.

"Wow." Gohan stated with wide eyes. The ceilings soared to twenty or thirty feet, so it didn't feel like they were underground. Every chamber was lined with massive stone columns in perfect condition, brightly painted to resemble palm trees, with carved green fronds at the top. Fires burned in copper braziers. They didn't seem to make any smoke, but the air smelled good, like a marketplace for spices—cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and others he couldn't identify. Gohan had to admit, this place was pretty cool, and way bigger than Camp Half-Blood.

He saw a few other people—mostly older men and women. Some wore linen robes, some modern clothes. One guy in a business suit walked past with a black leopard on a leash, as if that were completely normal. Another guy barked orders to a small army of brooms, mops, and buckets that were scuttling around, cleaning up the city.

"Like that cartoon," Sadie said. "Where Mickey Mouse tries to do magic and the brooms keep splitting and toting water."

"'The Sorcerer's Apprentice,'" Zia said. "You do know that was based on an Egyptian story, don't you?"

Sadie just stared back.

They walked through a hall of jackal-headed statues, and he could swear their eyes watched him as they passed. A few minutes later, Zia led the trip through an open-air market—if you can call anything "open- air" underground—with dozens of stalls selling weird items like boomerang wands, animated clay dolls, parrots, cobras, papyrus scrolls, and hundreds of different glittering amulets. Gohan was pretty amazed as he looked around in awe. Then, something caught his eye. Rather, someone. A woman who was running a booth filled with books and scrolls. She was dressed like an Egyptian archeologist, in a brown jacket and shorts. She had long black hair tied back in a ponytail, and a curious expression on her face. Then, she stared right at Gohan. Gohan felt a jolt as he stared right into the woman's brilliant grey eyes. She gave him a small smile. When he blinked, she was gone.

"Yo! You coming?" Sadie called out, snapping Gohan out of his daze.

Next, they crossed a path of stones over a dark river teeming with fish. Needless to say, he shuddered when he saw their vicious teeth.

"What monsters are those?" Gohan asked.

"Tiger fish from the Nile," Zia said. "Like piranhas, except these can weigh up to sixteen pounds. They'll rip all the skin off your bones in ten seconds."

He watched his step more closely after that.

The small group turned a corner and passed an ornate building carved out of black rock. Seated pharaohs were chiseled into the walls, and the doorway was shaped like a coiled serpent.

"What's in there?" Sadie asked.

They peeked inside and saw rows of children—maybe two dozen in all, about six to ten years old or so —sitting cross-legged on cushions. They were hunched over brass bowls, peering intently into some sort of liquid and speaking under their breath. At first Gohan thought it was a classroom, but there was no sign of a teacher, and the chamber was lit only by a few candles. Judging by the number of empty seats, the room was meant to hold twice as many kids.

"Man, this world is a messed up place for kids." Gohan thought, though considering his own past, that was a bit ironic.

"Our initiates," Zia said, "learning to scry. The First Nome must keep in contact with our brethren all over the world. We use our youngest as...operators, I suppose you would say."

"So you've got bases like this all over the world?" "Most are much smaller, but yes."

Sadie remembered what Amos had told us about the nomes. "Egypt is the First Nome. New York is the Twenty-first. What's the last one, the Three-hundred-and-sixtieth?"

"That would be Antarctica," Zia said. "A punishment assignment. Nothing there but a couple of cold magicians and some magic penguins."

"Magic penguins?"

"Don't ask."

Sadie pointed to the children inside. "How does it work? They see images in the water?"

"It's oil," Zia said. "But yes."

"So few," Sadie said. "Are these the only initiates in the whole city?"

"In the whole world," Zia corrected. "There were more before—" She stopped herself.

"Before what?" Gohan asked.

"Nothing," Zia said darkly. "Initiates do our scrying because young minds are most receptive. Magicians begin training no later than the age of ten...with a few dangerous exceptions. Not unlike a few of your companions, Gohan."

"You mean us," Carter said.

"They'll be waiting for all of you," Zia said. "Come along."

Finally, they arrived at a crossroads. On the right was a massive set of bronze doors with fires blazing on either side; on the left, a twenty-foot-tall sphinx carved into the wall. A doorway nestled between its paws, but it was bricked in and covered in cobwebs. "That looks like the Sphinx at Giza," Carter said.

"That's because we are directly under the real Sphinx," Zia said. "That tunnel leads straight up to it. Or it used to, before it was sealed."

"But..." Carter did some quick calculations in his head. "The Sphinx is, like, twenty miles from the Cairo Airport."

"Roughly."

"No way we've walked that far."

Zia actually smiled, and Carter couldn't help noticing how pretty her eyes were. "Distance changes in magic places, Carter. Surely you've learned that by now."

Sadie cleared her throat. "So why is the tunnel closed, then?"

"The Sphinx was too popular with archaeologists," Zia said. "They kept digging around. Finally, in the 1980s, they discovered the first part of the tunnel under the Sphinx."

"Dad told me about that!" Carter said. "But he said the tunnel was a dead end."

"It was when we got through with it. We couldn't let the archaeologists know how much they're missing. Egypt's leading archaeologist recently speculated that they've only discovered thirty percent of the ancient ruins in Egypt. In truth, they've only discovered one tenth, and not even the interesting tenth."

"What about King Tut's tomb?" Carter protested. "That boy king?" Zia rolled her eyes. "Boring. You should see some of the good tombs."

Zia turned to face the bronze doors.

"This is the Hall of Ages." She placed her palm against the seal, which bore the symbol of the House of Life.

The hieroglyphs began to glow, and the doors swung open. Zia turned to them, her expression deadly serious. "You are all are about to meet the Chief Lector. Behave yourselves, unless you wish to be turned into insects." Gohan grinned.

"About time."


	15. Desjardins is a Real Jerk

Gohan had to admit, the Hall of Ages sure was impressive.

Double rows of stone pillars held up a ceiling so high, you could've parked a blimp under it with no trouble. A shimmering blue carpet that looked like water ran down the center of the hall, which was so long, Gohan couldn't see the end even though it was brightly lit, and he had excellent eyesight. Balls of fire floated around like helium basketballs, changing color whenever they bumped into one another. Millions of tiny hieroglyphic symbols also drifted through the air, randomly combining into words and then breaking apart.

Out of curiosity, Gohan grabbed a pair of glowing red legs.

They walked across his palm before jumping off and dissolving. But the weirdest things were the displays.

Between the columns on either side of them, images shifted, coming into focus and then blurring out again like holograms in a sandstorm.

"Come on," Zia told them. "And don't spend too much time looking."

It was impossible not to. The first twenty feet or so, the magical scenes cast a golden light across the hall. A blazing sun rose above an ocean. A mountain emerged from the water.

"What is this?" Gohan asked as he looked at the scene curiously.

"The beginning of the world." Carter answered.

"Well, of this world." Gohan thought as he watched as giants strode across the Nile Valley: a man with black skin and the head of a jackal, a lioness with bloody fangs, a beautiful woman with wings of light.

Sadie stepped off the rug. In a trance, she reached toward the images.

"Stay on the carpet!" Zia grabbed Sadie's hand and pulled her back toward the center of the hall. "You are seeing the Age of the Gods. No mortal should dwell on these images."

"But..." Sadie blinked. "They're only pictures, aren't they?"

"Memories," Zia said, "so powerful they could destroy your mind."

"Oh," Sadie said in a small voice.

They kept walking. The images changed to silver. Gohan was fascinated as he saw armies clashing—Egyptians in kilts and sandals and leather armor, fighting with spears. A tall, dark-skinned man in red-and-white armor placed a double crown on his head: Narmer, the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt.

"This is the Old Kingdom," Carter guessed. "The first great age of Egypt."

"So… is this the general version of the history of this world, or just the Egyptian version?" Gohan asked curiously. Zia glared at him.

"What makes you so sure that those are two separate things?" she asked. Gohan glared at her.

As they walked down the hall, they saw workers building the first step pyramid out of stone. Another few steps, and the biggest pyramid of all rose from the desert at Giza. Its outer layer of smooth white casing stones gleamed in the sun. Ten thousand workers gathered at its base and knelt before the pharaoh, who raised his hands to the sun, dedicating his own tomb.

"Khufu," Carter said.

"The baboon?" Sadie asked, suddenly interested.

"No, the pharaoh who built the Great Pyramid," Carter said. "It was the tallest structure in the world for almost four thousand years." Gohan didn't look too impressed.

Another few steps, and the images turned from silver to coppery.

"The Middle Kingdom," Zia announced. "A bloody, chaotic time. And yet this is when the House of Life came to maturity."

The scenes shifted more rapidly. They watched armies fighting, temples being built, ships sailing on the Nile, and magicians throwing fire. Every step covered hundreds of years, and yet the hall still went on forever. For the first time, Gohan understood just how ancient Egypt was. Still, he was a bit curious. Where were the Greek gods in all this? Gohan made a mental note to ask Chiron about this later.

They crossed another threshold, and the light turned bronze.

"The New Kingdom," Carter guessed. "The last time Egypt was ruled by Egyptians."

Zia said nothing, but they watched even more scenes: Hatshepsut, the greatest female pharaoh, putting on a fake beard and ruling Egypt as a man; Ramesses the Great leading his chariots into battle.

They saw magicians dueling in a palace. A man in tattered robes, with a shaggy black beard and wild eyes, threw down his staff, which turned into a serpent and devoured a dozen other snakes.

Carter got a lump in his throat. "Is that—"

"Musa," Zia said. "Or Moshe, as his own people knew him. You call him Moses. The only foreigner ever to defeat the House in a magic duel."

"Who?" Gohan asked curiously.

Sadie stared at Gohan. "You're kidding, right?" Gohan shook his head.

"Wow." Sadie stated with wide eyes.

The scene shifted again. They saw a man standing over a table of battle figurines: wooden toy ships, soldiers, and chariots. The man was dressed like a pharaoh, but his face looked oddly familiar. He looked up and seemed to smile right at me. With a chill, Gohan realized he had the same face as the ba, the bird-faced spirit who'd challenged him on the bridge.

"Who is that?" Gohan asked.

"Nectanebo II," Zia said. "The last native Egyptian king, and the last sorcerer pharaoh. He could move entire armies, create or destroy navies by moving pieces on his board, but in the end, it was not enough."

They stepped over another line and the images shimmered blue. "These are the Ptolemaic times," Zia said. "Alexander the Great conquered the known world, including Egypt. He set up his general Ptolemy as the new pharaoh, and founded a line of Greek kings to rule over Egypt."

The Ptolemaic section of the hall was shorter, and seemed sad compared to all the others. The temples were smaller. The kings and queens looked desperate, or lazy, or simply apathetic. There were no great battles...except toward the end. They saw Romans march into the city of Alexandria, and saw a woman with dark hair and a white dress drop a snake into her blouse.

"Cleopatra," Zia said, "the seventh queen of that name. She tried to stand against the might of Rome, and she lost. When she took her life, the last line of pharaohs ended. Egypt, the great nation, faded. Our language was forgotten. The ancient rites were suppressed. The House of Life survived, but we were forced into hiding."

They passed into an area of red light, and history began to look familiar(to Carter and Sadie). They saw Arab armies riding into Egypt, then the Turks. Napoleon marched his army under the shadow of the pyramids. The British came and built the Suez Canal. Slowly Cairo grew into a modern city. And the old ruins faded farther and farther under the sands of the desert.

"Each year," Zia said, "the Hall of Ages grows longer to encompass our history. Up until the present."

Gohan was so enthralled by the history lesson that he didn't even realize they'd reached the end of the hall until Sadie grabbed his arm.

In front of them stood a dais and on it an empty throne, a gilded wooden chair with a flail and a shepherd's crook carved in the back—the ancient symbols of the pharaoh. On the step below the throne sat the oldest man Gohan had ever seen, on both Earths. His skin was like lunch-bag paper— brown, thin, and crinkled. White linen robes hung loosely off his small frame. A leopard skin was draped around his shoulders, and his hand shakily held a big wooden staff. But weirdest of all, the glowing hieroglyphs in the air seemed to be coming from him. Multicolored symbols popped up all around him and floated away as if he were some sort of magic bubble machine.

At first, Gohan wasn't sure he was even alive. The man's milky eyes stared into space. Curiously, he reached out to try and sense the old man's ki. Almost instantly, he focused on Gohan, and electricity coursed through his body. Gohan realized that he wasn't just looking at him. He was scanning Gohan—reading his entire being. To be honest, it felt pretty unsettling.

The old man raised an eyebrow as if Gohan had surprised him. He glanced behind him and said something in a language Gohan didn't recognize.

A second man stepped out of the shadows. Now Gohan was surprised: it was the guy who'd been with Zia in the British Museum—the one with the cream-colored robes and the forked beard.

The bearded man glared at the small trio, and then paused as he looked at Gohan. He quickly leaned next to the old man, and seemed to have a hushed conversation. He looked annoyed, but stood back up.

"I am Desjardins," he said with a French accent. "My master, Chief Lector Iskandar, welcomes you to the House of Life."

Gohan opened his mouth, but Sadie beat him to it. "He's really old. Why isn't he sitting on the throne?" Gohan had a brief craving to whack Sadie upside the head. Not exactly a good first impression. Sure enough, Desjardins' nostrils flared, but the old dude, Iskandar, just chuckled, and said something else in that other language.

Desjardins translated stiffly: "The master says thank you for noticing; he is in fact really old. But the throne is for the pharaoh. It has been vacant since the fall of Egypt to Rome. It is... symbolic. The Chief Lector's role is to serve and protect the pharaoh. Therefore he sits at the foot of the throne."

Gohan looked at Iskandar a little nervously. He wondered how many years Iskandar been sitting on that step. "If you...if he can understand English...what language is he speaking?"

Desjardins sniffed. "The Chief Lector understands many things. But he prefers to speak Alexandrian Greek, his birth tongue."

Sadie cleared her throat. "Sorry, his birth tongue? Wasn't Alexander the Great way back in the blue section, thousands of years ago? You make it sound like Lord Salamander is—"

"Lord Iskandar," Desjardins hissed. "Show respect!" Gohan was having thoughts of his own.

"Chiron couldn't be serious. How can this guy help me?" Gohan thought curiously.

The old man looked Gohan in the eyes. He smiled, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. Then, he glanced at Carter, paused and said something else in Greek, and Desjardins translated.

"The master says not to worry, Carter and Sadie Kane. You will not be held responsible for the past crimes of your family. At least, not until we have investigated you further."

"Gee...thanks," Carter said.

"Do not mock our generosity, boy," Desjardins warned. "Your father broke our most important law twice: once at Cleopatra's Needle, when he tried to summon the gods and your mother died assisting him. Then again at the British Museum, when your father was foolish enough to use the Rosetta Stone itself. Now your uncle too is missing—"

"You know what's happened to Amos?" Sadie blurted out.

Desjardins scowled. "Not yet," he admitted.

"You have to find him!" Sadie cried. "Don't you have some sort of GPS magic or—"

"We are searching," Desjardins said. "But you cannot worry about Amos. You must stay here. You must be...trained."

It was pretty clear that he was going to say a different word, something not as nice as trained. Iskandar spoke directly to me. His tone sounded kindly.

"The master warns that the Demon Days begin tomorrow at sunset," Desjardins translated. "You must be kept safe."

"But we have to find our dad!" Carter said. "Dangerous gods are on the loose out there. We saw Serqet. And Set!"

At these names, Iskandar's expression tightened. He turned and gave Desjardins what sounded like an order. Desjardins protested. Iskandar repeated his statement.

Desjardins clearly didn't like it, but he bowed to his master. Then he turned toward Carter. "The Chief Lector wishes to hear your story."

So Carter told him, with Sadie jumping in whenever he stopped to take a breath. The funny thing was, they both left out certain things without planning to, like Sadie's magic or Gohan's… abilities. In fact, Gohan didn't say a word the whole time.

When Carter was done, he glanced at Zia. She said nothing, but she was studying Carter with a troubled expression.

Iskandar traced a circle on the step with the butt of his staff. More hieroglyphs popped into the air and floated away.

After several seconds, Desjardins seemed to grow impatient. He stepped forward and glared at them. "You are lying. That could not have been Set. He would need a powerful host to remain in this world. Very powerful."

"Look, you," Sadie said. "I don't know what all this rubbish is about hosts, but I saw Set with my own eyes. You were there at the British Museum—you must have done, too. And if Carter saw him in Phoenix, Arizona, then..." She looked at Carter doubtfully.

"Then he's probably not crazy."

"Thanks, Sis," Carter mumbled, but Sadie was just getting started. "And as for Serqet, she's real too! Our friend, my cat, Bast, died protecting us!"

"So," Desjardins said coldly, "you admit to consorting with gods. That makes our investigation much easier. Bast is not your friend. The gods caused the downfall of Egypt. It is forbidden to call on their powers. Magicians are sworn to keep the gods from interfering in the mortal world. We must use all our power to fight them. And then there's your association with… him." Desjardins glared at Gohan

"Hey! What does that mean?" Gohan demanded.

"Bast said you were paranoid," Sadie added.

The magician clenched his fists, and the air tingled with the weird smell of ozone, like during a thunderstorm. The hairs on Gohan's neck stood straight up. Before anything bad could happen, Zia stepped in front of them.

"Lord Desjardins," she pleaded, "there was something strange. When I ensnared the scorpion goddess, she re-formed almost instantly. I could not return her to the Duat, even with the Seven Ribbons. I could only break her hold on the host for a moment. Perhaps the rumors of other escapes —"

"What other escapes?" Sadie asked.

Zia glanced at her reluctantly. "Other gods, many of them, released since last night from artifacts all over the world. Like a chain reaction—"

"Ooops." Gohan thought nervously.

"Zia!" Desjardins snapped. "That information is not for sharing."

"Look," Sadie said, "lord, sir, whatever—Bast warned us this would happen. She said Set would release more gods. And then there was that other guy! The fake Gero, or whoever he really is!"

"Master," Zia pleaded, "if Ma'at is weakening, if Set is increasing chaos, perhaps that is why I could not banish Serqet."

"Ridiculous," Desjardins said. "You are skilled, Zia, but perhaps you were not skilled enough for this encounter. And as for these two, the contamination must be contained. Don't get me started with him!" he pointed at Gohan,

Zia's face reddened. She turned her attention to Iskandar. "Master, please. Give me a chance with them."

"You forget your place," Desjardins snapped. "These two are guilty and must be destroyed. As for the third, we'll stay our judgment with him for now."

The old man finally looked up. He smiled at Zia with true affection. For a second, Gohan wondered if she were his great-great-great-granddaughter or something. He spoke in Greek, and Zia bowed deeply. The only reason why Gohan knew that was Greek was because Annabeth had taught him a few terms at Camp.

Desjardins looked ready to explode. He swept his robes away from his feet and marched behind the throne.

"The Chief Lector will allow Zia to test you two," he growled. "Meanwhile, I will seek out the truth—or the lies—in your story. You will be punished for the lies."

Carter turned to Iskandar and copied Zia's bow. Sadie did the same. Gohan a minute later. "Thank you, master," Carter said.

The old man studied him for a long time. Again, Gohan felt as if he were trying to burn into his soul—not in an angry way. More out of concern. Then he mumbled something, and Desjardins nodded.

"Zia. Take these two to their quarters. Test them in the morning. We wish to speak to the third one… alone." Zia nodded and gestured at Carter and Sadie, who quickly followed Zia out of the hall.

"Good luck." Carter mouthed as they left.

"Ummm… is he gonna be okay?" Sadie asked once they were out of the hall.

Zia turned toward them, her expression grim. "I will show you to your quarters. In the morning, your testing begins. We will see what magic you know, and how you know it. As for your friend… they won't harm him. Not yet."

"And what about us? What happens if we fail this test?" Zia regarded her coldly. "This is not the sort of test you fail, Sadie Kane. You pass or you die."

Gohan shifted his feet nervously as he stood in front of the throne, feeling pretty small in the massive room. Then, Desjardins spoke with a voice filled with rage.

"How dare you come here, demigod! Your kind are not welcome here at The House of Life! You are an abomination to everything we fight for!" Gohan looked shocked. Desjardins smiled and continued.

"I was under the impression that there was an agreement between your teacher Chiron and the Chief Lector. You god-spawn would avoid us, and we avoid you.

"Wait! I'm not a demigod!" Desjardins actually smiled at that.

"Oh really? Then what is this?" the magician made a flicking motion, causing Ascension to zoom out of Gohan's pocket and float in front of Iskandar. Then, the pen morphed into its sword form, glowing gold and sparking blue lightning.

"This is celestial bronze, boy. The preferred metal that your kind forge your weapons from. Only used by demigods. Now, which of those monsters are you a spawn of? Athena? Hermes? Ares?" Needless to say, Gohan did NOT approve of that last one.

"Okay, wait a sec! Compare me to Ares again, and I will throw you into the sun!" Desjardins looked livid, while Iskandar didn't react at all.

"How dare you!" Gohan wasn't having any of it.

"I've had it! I've been pushed around by everyone! I almost got burned, and I almost got buried alive by a ton of scorpions! And on top of all that, I'm hungry! I've been having a really bad day!" Gohan roared with rage as his body shimmered.

"What…" Desjardins said with confusion, but Gohan was on a roll.

"Look, did I help demigods? Yeah! They're my friends, and together, we saved the whole world, including you guys! Ares tried to kill me and my friends! So I took him down!" Now Desjardins looked shocked.

"What? You claim to have defeated a god? How?" he demanded. But, before Gohan could answer, Iskandar tapped his staff on the ground, causing several symbols to float off the ground around Gohan. Less than a second later, they glowed green and dissolved. Gohan was so baffled that his glow vanished.

"Ummm… what?" Gohan asked. Then, Iskandar finally spoke, in English.

"He is not a demigod. He is an Otherworlder." Desjardins looked truly shocked.

"What? An Otherworlder? Impossible! There has not been an Otherworlder here since!" Iskandar held up one frail hand.

"He is." Gohan finally spoke.

"If you mean a parallel Earth, then yeah." Desjardins looked enraged.

"I've only head stories of Otherworlders, and nothing good! The only thing worse than a god-spawn is an Otherworlder! How dare you invade this world! You should be destroyed!" he raised his staff, but Iskandar cut him off. He made a small gesture at Gohan, indicating that he wanted Gohan to talk. Gohan nodded, and told his story, leaving out key details like the location of Camp Half-Blood and Olympus, Percy and Annabeth, and other details like that.

"Look, I came here for help. I've been on this world for over six months, and I still don't know how to get home. The Greeks can't help me, and neither can the gods. I heard about the House of Life and the Chief Lektor. I was wondering, could you guys help me get back home?" the air was silent for a minute. Then, Desjardins and Iskandar had a hushed conversation. Desjardins then turned and glared at Gohan.

"Unfortunately, none of us possess the knowledge of breaching other dimensions. This has been forbidden by our laws. If we did possess this knowledge, it has been long since lost." Gohan's shoulders slumped.

"Oh." Gohan had to admit he was a bit disappointed.

"Now then… I will be frank. If it were up to me, I would toss you into a cell, or banish you into the Duat. However…" he paused as he glared at Iskandar with a look of annoyance.

"The Chief Lektor feels that since you protected the Kane siblings from harm and aided one of our magicians against a goddess, and given your… alliances…" He said that word with complete disgust before continuing.

"You will be allowed to stay the night. Tomorrow, when one is available, Zia will escort you to a portal, which will return you to Brooklyn, and then you can return to your… god spawn friends." Gohan looked shocked.

"Wait, I just can't abandon Carter and Sadie! I'm a part of all this too now!" Desjardins looked annoyed.

"You brought them here, but don't test our patience. We have very little of it, and you don't want the House of Life as an enemy." Gohan's eyes blazed with rage.

 _"You wanna bet?"_ Gohan thought as his fists clenched. Then, he glanced at Iskandar and remembered Chiron's warning.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily." Gohan spat before whirling and stomping out of the large hall, past a surprised Zia. Little did Gohan know, this strange night was far from over.


	16. Past, Present and Future

"Man, that guy is a jerk!" Gohan ranted with rage as he followed Zia down a long corridor.

"Desjardins is a hard man. But, he does do what he thinks is right. That is why Iskandar chose him as his advisor."

"Pardon me." The two of them turned in confusion to see the old master, Iskandar, standing behind them, his face pinched with concern. Glowing hieroglyphs danced round him. Zia instantly bowed.

"Chief Lektor." He looked at her with what Gohan could have sworn was a sad look on his face, before turning towards Gohan.

"Come with me." He turned and slowly(very slowly, like Yoda slow) down the hall. Gohan gave Zia a curious look, and then followed the old man.

"I apologize for Desjardins' behavior before. He is…"

"A jerk?" Gohan stated.

"Complicated. He is a firm believer in what he believes is right for the House of Life. When you return to Camp Half-Blood, please give my regards to Chiron. It has been a very long time since I have spoken to him. I hope he's well."

"He's okay. He's still running the camp. He told me to be careful around you guys." Iskandar nodded.

"I understand. Chiron has a right to be worried. Relations between Greeks and Egyptians have never been the best, as you have likely seen for yourself."

"Yeah." Gohan admitted.

"You have my thanks for your earlier actions. I suspect this world is still standing, thanks to you." Gohan smiled.

"I didn't do it alone." The old man gave a toothless smile.

"I am well aware. We all need others to help us achieve our goals. I suspect you had allies aiding you on your own world." Gohan nodded

"It has been a very long time since I've met an Otherworlder." Gohan looked intrigued.

"Really?" Iskandar nodded.

"Not as powerful as you, but… intriguing. He was a wanderer, of sorts. An explorer of worlds. He possessed weapons and devices far more advanced than even now, such as a sword made of light. I have not seen him in 800 years, and have not seen another one since then… until now."

Gohan looked surprised.

"To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed, sir."

"Oh?" Iskandar looked intrigued.

"I was really hoping you would be the one to help me get home. I've been trying for six months, but no matter where I go, no one can help me." Iskandar gave Gohan a toothless smile.

"It seems you are asking the wrong question, young one." He answered as he entered the Hall of Ages.

"What?" Gohan asked as he followed him.

Inside, the hall seemed deserted. No balls of fire floated around the ceiling. No glowing hieroglyphs. But images still shimmered between the columns, washing the hall with strange, multicolored light. Iskandar shuffled forward, and then turned towards his right to face what seemed to be a normal patch of wall. But then, he tapped his staff against the wall in a strange pattern. A second later, the wall seemed to dissolve, leaving a black door-shaped hole.

"What is that? What's in there?" Gohan asked. Iskandar stepped aside and gestured at the hole.

"Perhaps the answers you seek."

"But… you thought I was asking the wrong question." Iskandar simply smiled.

"To find a question, you must find the answer first."

Gohan took a few nervous steps as he peeped into the hole. His hands glowed blue.

"You will not need to fight. No weapons." Iskandar calmly gestured at Gohan's waist. Gohan reluctantly handed him Ascension, and stepped through the wall. Gohan was once again plunged into black. Gohan decided to walk forward. He wasn't sure how long he walked, his steps echoing into the black, before he saw a bright light ahead of him. Gohan took a deep breath and walked through.

"Ow!" Gohan blinked as he held his hand over his face to cover him from the bright light. He blinked several times to find himself on a beautiful island. Everything seemed to glow, from the grass to the trees. Although, that was put off a bit by the large chasm that seemed to split the island in half. There was also a lot of sheep. Big, really big sheep. Gohan's attention was taken by what seemed to be a bright, gold blanket glowing on a large tree. Gohan couldn't explain why, but he felt like the blanket was radiating life.

"SHEEPIES!" a voice roared, completely scaring the hell out of Gohan. Then, the whole scene shimmered and changed. Gohan took a step back as he found himself in a familiar location, the Lotus Casino. He still remembered the lights, and the smell of the food. He was standing next to a large, thin man in a black suit, who was facing a pair of children Gohan's age.

"Come with me." He stated calmly. Then, the scene changed again. Gohan once again found himself in a familiar location: Camp Half-Blood. But… it was… different than before. The cabins looked different, as did the Big House. He couldn't recognize anyone at all. Not to mention… half the camp was on fire, and a massive battle was raging on all around him. Kids in camp shirts were roaring as they clashed against other kids in purple T-shirts, and satyrs and dryads were getting in on the action too. Many of the purple kids stood together in tight formations, with spears out and pushing several Half-Blood campers back. In the air, several campers clashed on flying horses. Then, Gohan saw Chiron. He looked much different than when Gohan had last seen him. He had longer hair, and a expression of rage on his face as he fired off an arrow that knocked a large, beefy kid off his feet.

Then, the scene changed again. The whole camp shimmered, and Gohan found himself in… a room. To be honest, it was the most normal place Gohan had seen in a long time. A small bed with blue covers, a red wallpaper covered with posters for films that Gohan didn't recognize at all. But what got his attention was the girl. Gohan was a bit startled when he saw her. She didn't even notice him as she painted on a large white canvas. She was actually quite pretty, dressed in a large, paint splattered t-shirt and blue jeans. She was a tall, slim girl with frizzy red hair, freckled face, and green eyes, like the kind Gohan had when he would transform. She muttered as she continued her drawing, which seemed to depict a figure encased in gold.

"Who are you…" she muttered to herself as she continued to paint.

Then, the scene shimmered yet again, and Gohan found himself in a forest. Then, he took a step back in surprise as a massive monster bounded past him, chased by what appeared to be several dozen young girls, even younger than him, dressed in silver sweaters and wielding bows and arrows. The beast roared in pain and rage as several silver arrows sprouted out of its sides. Several girls stopped next to Gohan, although they didn't seem to notice him.

"Shall we continue, my lady?" an older, dark-skinned girl asked an younger, arburn haired girl. The girl nodded.

"Yes, Zoe. Contin…" she trained off and stiffened. Then, she whirled to face Gohan, startling him so much that he took a step back.

"We aren't alone." She stated as she glared right at Gohan. Right then, the scene shimmered out of existence and changed again. This time, Gohan found himself in a desert, facing a massive, dark red pyramid. It was completely ominous, with lightning cracking in the sky and everything. A voice echoed, full of malice and laughter.

"Soon… a new world will emerge." Then, the scene changed again, and Gohan found himself in a strange hallway. The walls were a sleek black, and were illuminated only by faint white lights, lining the ceiling. It seemed to stretch on forever.

"Gohan!" a familiar voice cried out, and he whirled to see no other than Annabeth. She was standing several yards away, reaching out for him with a look of pure terror on her face. Her hair was wild and ragged, in a tangled mess. She had a fresh cut on her face, and her camp clothes were ripped. Her knife was out in her hand, dripping with golden ichtor.

"Help me!" she screamed as she reached out to him with her free hand. Gohan didn't even think. He sprinted towards her, but he didn't seem to get closer at all. His feet lifted off the ground, and he shot towards her, but if anything, she seemed to go even farther back. Then, Annabeth let out an ear-splitting scream, followed by an inhuman screech as she was wrapped in black.

"NO!" Gohan screamed as he fell into black, and landed in what looked like a combination of a library and a lab.

"Well, well!" Gohan whirled to face a young man in his twenties with wild blond hair, wire-rimmed glasses, jeans and a lab coat. He grinned as he strummed a red guitar.

"You can see me?" Gohan asked. The man grinned and nodded,

"Sure can, little Otherworlder. Come find me, to find the answers you seek." The man chuckled. Then, Gohan blacked out.

When he awoke, he was curled at Iskandar's feet on the steps below the empty throne.

"Welcome back," he said. "You're lucky you survived. Not many can enter that place without their minds going mad." Gohan let out a loud moan as he sat up. His whole body ached, and his head felt like it had been boiled in oil. His throat throbbed, which eased a bit after he drank a yellow liquid that Iskandar gave him.

"What… was that? I… I saw…" Gohan gasped in a ragged voice as he wiped his face.

"What did you see in your vision?" Iskandar asked.

Gohan probably should've kept quiet, but it flowed out of his mouth before he could think.

"I… I saw places. People. A lot of them were strangers, but I knew some of them. But… a lot of it… of them… looked different.

"You saw what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. Hints and glimpses. Clues, if you will." Gohan looked confused.

"What? What do you mean?" he demanded.

"The reason. You glimpsed pieces of the puzzle, of the answer. You may not understand it now, but each piece will make sense in time." Gohan groaned as he massaged his head.

"But… what was that?" he asked as he looked at the wall.

"A chamber into the Duat. Those who enter submerge themselves into the Duat can experience visions… at a risk of losing their sanity." Gohan goggled at him.

"And you didn't warn me about that beforehand?" Gohan demanded. The old man simply smiled.

"I told you, you were asking the wrong question. You must not ask how you were here, but why. I believe you were brought to this world for a reason, an important one. That seemed well worth the risk to gain the knowledge you required."

"You think? I'm pretty sure that I came here by accident." Gohan stated. But, the old man shook his head.

"In my millennias of life, I have seen that there are no such things as accidents." Iskandar stared into space.

"So, you really are that old? You're as old as Chiron?" Iskandar shook his head.

"Not that old, young one, but quite long, even by your terms, I suspect. It was my sorrow to behold the last days of Egypt, before that foolhardy queen lost our kingdom to the Romans. I was the last magician to be trained before the House went underground. Many of our most powerful secrets were lost, including the spells my master used to extend my life. Magicians these days still live long—sometimes centuries—but I have been alive for two millennia."

"I know how you feel." Gohan said softly. Iskander looked curious.

"Do you now?" Gohan nodded.

"I was born on Earth, my Earth, but my dad was from another world. A planet called Vegeta. He was a species called a saiyan. And that planet was destroyed, along with almost all the saiyans. For a long time now, it's just been me, my dad, and one other, Vegeta. But, now my dad's… gone, and now that I'm in this world… I guess I really am the last saiyan. I don't know anything about the old saiyans, but still… sometimes I feel like it's up to me. I really am the last of my kind." The old man nodded with a sad expression. Then, he let out a racking cough. He doubled over and cupped his hands over his mouth. Gohan wanted to help, but he wasn't sure how. The glowing hieroglyphs flickered and dimmed around him.

Finally the coughing subsided.

He took a shaky breath. "Hardly immortal. In fact..." His voice trailed off. "But never mind that. Yes, we are both more alike than they think. To be the last, to be the last remnant of a once mighty civilization… to know that once we fall, all that knowledge, all that history will be gone forever… it truly is a heavy burden."

"So… now what?" Gohan asked. He fixed Gohan in his gaze. His eyes no longer looked milky. They burned with intensity.

"Desjardins is wrong, about you and the Kane siblings. You found each other for a reason. I believe that you three will need each other…" he seemed to drift off, until Gohan cleared his throat..

He looked at Gohan with mild surprise, as if he'd forgotten I was there. "I'm sorry, Gohan. I should come to the point: you have a hard path ahead of you, but I'm convinced now it's a path you must take, for all our sakes. I suspect Carter and Sadie will need your guidance ahead."

Gohan was tempted to laugh.

"I've tried, but Sadie doesn't listen to a word I say! How am I supposed to get them to listen to me? The truth is, I'm not exactly a leader! Annabeth was the one who called the shots during our last adventure." Iskandar chuckled.

"All in good time. Things must take their course. I suspect you will become a truly brilliant leader." Gohan wanted to throw something.

Figures, all adults have the same idiotic typical adult answer. He tried to bite back his frustration. "And what if I need guidance?"

"Zia," he said, without hesitation. "She is my best pupil, and she is wise. When the time comes, she will know how to help you."

"Right," Gohan said, a bit disappointed. "Zia. We don't exactly get along."

"For now you should rest. And it seems I, too, can rest at last." He sounded sad but relieved. Gohan didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't give me the chance to ask.

"I am sorry our time together was so brief. Tell Chiron that I will miss our matches." he said. "Sleep well, Gohan." "But—" Iskandar touched his forehead, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	17. Morning Lessons Really Suck

Although it wasn't the worse wake-up Gohan had ever gotten, it was still VERY unpleasant to be woken up by having a bucket of ice water dumped on him. He let out a girly scream as he shot up and whirled around in confusion, ready for battle.

"Get up," Zia said. He boggled at her.

"Seriously?! Was that necessary?" Gohan yelled.

"No," Zia admitted.

Despite what Iskandar had told him about Zia, he still had a bit of an urge to blast her, except he was dripping wet, shivering, and still disoriented. How long had he slept? It felt like only a few minutes. His head still throbbed from last night's experience. He could still remember every moment vividly, and it still confused him as much.

Zia tossed him a towel and some fresh linen clothes. "We'll meet Carter and Sadie in the cleansing room."

"I just got a bath, thanks very much." Gohan flexed and let out a grunt as his body glowed. In an instant, Gohan was completely dry. Then, Gohan's stomach let out a loud roar.

"What I need is a proper breakfast."

"Hmph. From what I've heard, a single meal for you might empty our food stores." Gohan had to grin at that.

"Probably." He admitted.

"What you really need is a haircut." Zia observed. Gohan frowned as he patted the back of his head. His hair had grown out quite a bit. It was already reaching the bottom of his neck(think 1990s Superman's mullet)

"I'll get to it eventually." Gohan

"The cleansing is a preparation for magic." Zia slung her bag of tricks over her shoulder and unfolded the long black staff she'd used in New York. "If they survive, we'll see about food."

Reluctantly, he got dressed and followed her out. Gohan wasn't going to lie, he looked ridiculous. He really missed his camp clothes.

After another endless series of tunnels, they came to a chamber with a roaring waterfall. There was no ceiling, just a shaft above them that seemed to go up forever. Water fell from the darkness into a fountain, splashing over a five-meter-tall statue of that bird-headed god. The water cascaded over his head, collected in his palms, then spilled out into the pool.

Carter and Sadie stood beside the fountain. Carter was dressed in linen with his Dad's workbag over one shoulder and his sword strapped to his back. His hair was rumpled, as if he hadn't slept well. At least he hadn't been doused in ice water. On the other hand, Sadie still showed signs of being soaked. Her streaked hair was matted down, and she had an annoyed expression on her face. But, she grinned when she saw Gohan.

"Well well, it's muscle-head! You sleep long?" Gohan sighed as he glared at her.

"How the hell am I supposed to lead them?" Gohan thought with frustration. To be fair, Gohan wasn't really a leader. All his life, he had either gone out on his own, or followed someone else's lead, like Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, even Annabeth. This was a new experience.

"What?" Sadie asked. "You're staring at me funny."

"Nothing," Gohan said quickly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Badly. I'll...I'll tell you about it later." Gohan was a bit relieved to hear that he wasn't the only one with rogue dreams. He cringed as Annabeth's scream echoed through his head. That was a sound he didn't ever want to hear again.

"You look like shit." Sadie stated.

"You're not the only one with bad dreams." Gohan answered simply.

Zia went to a nearby cabinet. She brought out two ceramic cups, dipped them into the fountain, then offered them to them. "Drink."

Sadie glanced at Carter. "After you."

"It's only water," Zia assured them, "but purified by contact with Thoth. It will focus your mind."

Sadie glared at Gohan.

"Why doesn't he have to do it?" Sadie demanded. Zia shook her head.

"It would have no effect for him, it would be like drinking regular water for him. Magic doesn't affect Otherworlders." That surprised Carter and Sadie.

"Wait, what?" Sadie asked.

"An explanation would take too much time and would likely be… complicated for some of you. Now drink." Sadie looked shocked.

"Did you just call me stupid?" she demanded.

"Drink." Zia ordered.

To be fair, Gohan didn't see how a statue could purify water. Then again, he had had a lot of strange experiences and seen a lot of weird things since he crash-landed in this world. They sipped from their cups. Gohan could tell the stuff had worked right away. They immediately perked up and stiffened, and their eyes grew wide as saucers. Actually, it reminded Gohan of eating sensu beans.

"Wow."

"Now the tattoos," Zia announced.

"Brilliant!" Sadie said.

"On your tongue," she added.

"Excuse me?"

Zia stuck out her tongue. Right in the middle was a blue hieroglyph. Gohan raised his eyebrows at that.

"Nith ith Naat," she tried to say with her tongue out. Then she realized her mistake and stuck her tongue back in. "I mean, this is Ma'at, the symbol of order and harmony. It will help you speak magic clearly. One mistake with a spell—"

"Let me guess," Sadie said. "We'll die."

"Seems like everything in this world can kill you." Gohan stated with an annoyed expression.

"Exactly." Zia stated calmly, as if she was just ordering breakfast.

From her cabinet of horrors, Zia produced a fine-tipped paintbrush and a bowl of blue dye. "It doesn't hurt. And it's not permanent."

"How does it taste?" Carter wondered.

Zia smiled. "Stick out your tongue."

To answer Carter's question, the tattoo tasted like burning car tires. Based on their expressions, Gohan was glad he hadn't done it.

"Ugh." Sadie spit a blue gob of "order and harmony" into the fountain. "Never mind breakfast. Lost my appetite."

"I'm still hungry." Gohan raised his hand.

Zia ignored him and pulled a leather satchel out of the cabinet. "Carter will be allowed to keep your father's magic implements, plus a new staff and wand. Generally speaking, the wand is for defense, the staff is for offense, although, Carter, you may prefer to use your khopesh."

"Khopesh?"

"The curved sword," Zia said. "A favored weapon of the pharaoh's guard. It can be used in combat magic. As for this one, he already has a weapon."

"Roger." Gohan grinned as he pulled out Ascension and uncapped it. It filled the room with a golden glow. Sadie looked jealous.

"Why can't I get one of those?" she snapped.

"Did you defeat the God of War?" Gohan snapped. Sadie promptly shut up.

"As for Sadie, you will need a full kit."

"How come he gets Dad's kit?" Sadie complained.

"He is the eldest," she said, as if that explained everything. Typical.

"Siblings suck." Sadie stated to Gohan. He shrugged.

"Only child." Sadie snorted.

"Lucky."

"Hey!" Carter snapped

Zia tossed Sadie the leather satchel. Inside was an ivory wand, a rod that she supposed turned into a staff, some paper, an ink set, a bit of twine, and a lovely chunk of wax. She was less than thrilled.

"So… no sword?

"What about a little wax man?" Sadie asked. "I want a Doughboy."

"If you mean a figurine, you must make one yourself. You will be taught how, if you have the skill. We will determine your specialty later."

"Specialty?" Carter asked. "You mean like Nectanebo specialized in statues?"

Zia nodded. "Nectanebo was extremely skilled in statuary magic. He could make shabti so lifelike, they could pass for human. No one has ever been greater at statuary...except perhaps Iskandar. But there are many other disciplines: Healer. Amulet maker. Animal charmer. Elementalist. Combat magician. Necromancer."

"Diviner?" Sadie asked.

Zia looked at her curiously. "Yes, although that is quite rare. Why do you—"

Sadie cleared her throat. "So how do we know our specialty?"

"It will become clear soon enough," Zia promised, "but a good magician knows a bit of everything, which is why we start with a basic test. Let us go to the library."

The First Nome's library was like Amos's, but a hundred times bigger, with circular rooms lined with honeycomb shelves that seemed to go on forever, like the world's largest beehive. Clay shabti statues kept popping in and out, retrieving scroll canisters and disappearing, but we saw no other people.

Zia brought them to a wooden table and spread out a long, blank papyrus scroll. She picked up a stylus and dipped it in ink.

"The Egyptian word shesh means scribe or writer, but it can also mean magician. This is because magic, at its most basic, turns words into reality. You will create a scroll. Using your own magic, you will send power into the words on paper. When spoken, the words will unleash the magic."

She handed the stylus to Carter.

"I don't get it," he protested.

"Me neither." Gohan added.

"A simple word," she suggested. "It can be anything." "In English?"

Zia curled her lip. "If you must. Any language will work, but hieroglyphics are best. They are the language of creation, of magic, of Ma'at. You must be careful, however."

Before she could explain, Carter drew a simple hieroglyph of a bird.

The picture wriggled, peeled itself off the papyrus, and flew away. It splattered Carter's head with some hieroglyphic droppings on its way out. It tried to nail Gohan, he moved out of the way. She couldn't help laughing at Carter's expression.

"A beginner's mistake," Zia said, scowling at me to be quiet. "If you use a symbol that stands for something alive, it is wise to write it only partially—leave off a wing, or the legs. Otherwise the magic you channel could make it come alive."

"And poop on its creator." Carter sighed, wiping off his hair with a bit of scrap papyrus. "That's why our father's wax statue, Doughboy, has no legs, right?"

"The same principle," Zia agreed. "Now, try again."

Carter stared at Zia's staff, which was covered in hieroglyphics. He picked the most obvious one and copied it on the papyrus—the symbol for fire.

Uh-oh, Sadie thought. But the word did not come alive, which would've been rather exciting. It simply dissolved.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Gohan asked.

"What do you think?" Carter snapped.

"Keep trying," Zia urged.

"Why am I so tired?" Carter wondered.

He definitely looked exhausted. His face was beaded with sweat.

"You're channeling magic from within," Zia said. "For me, fire is easy. But it may not be the most natural type of magic for you. Try something else. Summon...summon a sword."

Zia showed him how to form the hieroglyph, and Carter wrote it on the papyrus. Nothing happened. "Speak it," Zia said. "Sword," Carter said. The word glowed and vanished, and a butter knife lay on the papyrus. Sadie laughed. "Terrifying!"

Carter looked like he was about to pass out, but he managed a grin. He picked up the knife and threatened to poke me with it.

"Very good for a first time," Zia said. "Remember, you are not creating the knife yourself. You are summoning it from Ma'at—the creative power of the universe. Hieroglyphs are the code we use. That's why they are called Divine Words. The more powerful the magician, the easier it becomes to control the language."

Sadie caught my breath. "Those hieroglyphs floating in the Hall of Ages. They seemed to gather around Iskandar. Was he summoning them?"

"Not exactly," Zia said. "His presence is so strong, he makes the language of the universe visible simply by being in the room. No matter what our specialty, each magician's greatest hope is to become a speaker of the Divine Words—to know the language of creation so well that we can fashion reality simply by speaking, not even using a scroll."

"Like saying shatter," Sadie ventured. "And having a door explode."

"Don't do that again." Gohan stated.

Zia scowled. "Yes, but such a thing would take years of practice."

"Really? Well—" Out of the corner of my eye, Sadie saw Carter shaking his head, silently warning me to shut up.

"Um..." Sadie stammered. "Some day, I'll learn to do that." Zia raised an eyebrow.

"First, master the scroll." Sadie was getting tired of her attitude, so she picked up the stylus and wrote Fire in English. Gohan leaned forward and frowned. Ummmm, Sadie? Maybe you shouldn't—"

Before he could finish, a column of flame erupted in his face. Sadie screamed, but when the fire died Gohan was still there, still staring down at the paper with wide eyes, his face black with soot.

"Wow." Gohan blinked as he coughed out a cloud of smoke. To be frank, that really hadn't bothered him. Most ki blasts were way worse than that.

"Oh, god," Sadie said. "Sorry, sorry. Do I die now?" Gohan wiped his face clean as he coughed.

"That was… surprising."

For three heartbeats, Zia stared at Sadie.

"Now," she announced. "I think you are ready to duel." Personally, Gohan thought there was a lot more to a duel, but he decided to watch and learn.

They used another magic gateway, which Zia summoned right on the library wall. They stepped into a circle of swirling sand and popped out the other side, covered in dust and grit, in the front of some ruins. The harsh sunlight almost blinded Gohan.

"I hate portals," Carter muttered, brushing the sand out of his hair.

Then he looked around and his eyes widened. "This is Luxor! That's, like, hundreds of miles south of Cairo."

Gohan sighed. "And that amazes you after teleporting from New York?" He was too busy checking out their surroundings to answer.

Gohan supposed the ruins were all right, though once you've seen one pile of crumbly Egyptian stuff, you've seen them all. They stood on a wide avenue flanked by human-headed beasties, most of which were broken. The road went on behind us as far as he could see, but in front of us it ended at a temple much bigger than the one in the New York museum. The walls were at least six stories high. Big stone pharaohs stood guard on either side of the entrance, and a single obelisk stood on the left-hand side. It looked as if one used to stand on the right as well, but it was now gone.

"Luxor is a modern name," Zia said. "This was once the city of Thebes. This temple was one of the most important in Egypt. It is the best place for us to practice."

"Because it's already destroyed?" Gohan asked.

Zia gave him one of her famous scowls. "No, boy—because it is still full of magic. And it was sacred to Carter and Sadie's family."

"Our family?" Carter asked.

Zia didn't explain, as usual. She just gestured for them to follow.

"I don't like those ugly sphinxes," Gohan mumbled as we walked down the path.

"Those ugly sphinxes are creatures of law and order," Zia said, "protectors of Egypt. They are on our side."

"If you say so."

Carter nudged Sadie as they passed the obelisk. "You know the missing one is in Paris."

She rolled my eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Wikipedia. I thought they were in New York and London."

"That's a different pair," Carter said, like she was supposed to care. "The other Luxor obelisk is in Paris."

"Wish I was in Paris," Sadie said. "Lot better than this place."

They walked into a dusty courtyard surrounded by crumbling pillars and statues with various missing body parts. Still, he could tell the place had once been quite impressive.

"Where are the people?" Gohan asked. "Middle of the day, winter holidays. Shouldn't there be loads of tourists?"

Zia made a distasteful expression. "Usually, yes. I have encouraged them to stay away for a few hours."

"How?"

"Common minds are easy to manipulate. Now then, I wish to see your skills. In order to further your talents, you two will try to defeat Gohan." Zia stated. Gohan looked surprised.

"Seriously? I don't think that's a good idea." Gohan looked surprised.

Sadie found the idea preposterou. The only thing Carter had shown aptitude for was summoning butter knives and pooping birds. As annoying as Gohan might be, she didn't want to accidentally summon that glyph she'd made in Amos's house and explode him to bits.

Perhaps Carter was thinking the same thing, because he'd started to sweat. "What if we do something wrong?" he asked.

"I will oversee." Zia promised. "We will start slowly. The first magician to knock him out wins."

"But we haven't been trained! Gohan's been doing this for years!" Sadie protested.

"One learns by doing," Zia said. "This is not school, Sadie. You cannot learn magic by sitting at a desk and taking notes. You can only learn magic by doing magic."

"But—"

"Summon whatever power you can," Zia said. "Use whatever you have available. Begin!" Gohan moved first, appearing in front of Carter, grabbing his arm, and hurling him into Sadie, sending them tumbling to the ground.

"Get your butt out of my face!" Sadie grunted as they struggled to their feet.

"Get up! Use your magic!" Zia barked. Gohan chuckled as he floated into the air, and made a playful "come and get me" gesture

Sadie looked at Carter doubtfully. Use whatever she have? She opened the leather satchel and looked inside. A lump of wax? Probably not. She drew the wand and rod. Immediately, the rod expanded until she was holding a two-meter-long white staff.

Carter drew his sword, though he couldn't imagine what he'd do with it. Rather hard to someone floating ten feet in the air.

Sadie wanted this over, so she raised her staff like she'd seen Zia do. She thought the word Fire.

A small flame sputtered to life on the end of the staff. She willed it to get bigger. The fire momentarily brightened, but then Sadie's eyesight went fuzzy.

"That the best you can do?!" Gohan called out with a sarcastic tone.

The flame died. She fell to her knees, feeling as if she'd run a marathon.

"You okay?" Carter called.

"No," Sadie complained.

"If she knocks herself out, do I win?" Gohan asked.

"Shut up!" Sadie said.

"Sadie, you must be careful," Zia called. "You drew from your own reserves, not from the staff. You can quickly deplete your magic."

Sadie got shakily to my feet. "Explain?"

"A magician begins a duel full of magic, the way you might be full after a good meal—"

"Which I never got," Gohan reminded her.

"Each time you do magic," Zia continued, "you expend energy. You can draw energy from yourself, but you must know your limits. Otherwise you could exhaust yourself, or worse."

Sadie swallowed and looked at her smoldering staff. "How much worse?" "You could literally burn up."

She hesitated, thinking how to ask her next question without saying too much. "But I've done magic before. Sometimes it doesn't exhaust me. Why?"

From around her neck, Zia unclasped an amulet. She threw it into the air, and with a flash it turned into a giant vulture. The massive black bird soared over the ruins. As soon as it was out of sight, Zia extended her hand and the amulet appeared in her palm.

"Magic can be drawn from many sources," she said. "It can be stored in scrolls, wands, or staffs. Amulets are especially powerful. Magic can also be drawn straight from Ma'at, using the Divine Words, but this is difficult. Or"—she locked eyes with me—"it can be summoned from the gods."

"Why are you looking at me?" Sadie demanded. "I didn't summon any gods. They just seem to find me!" She put on her necklace but said nothing. "Hold on," Carter said. "You claimed this place was sacred to our family."

"It was," Zia agreed.

"But wasn't this..." Carter frowned. "Didn't the pharaohs have a yearly festival here or something?"

"Indeed," she said. "The pharaoh would walk down the processional path all the way from Karnak to Luxor. He would enter the temple and become one with the gods. Sometimes, this was purely ceremonial. Sometimes, with the great pharaohs like Ramesses, here—" Zia pointed to one of the huge crumbling statues.

"They actually hosted the gods," Sadie interrupted. Zia narrowed her eyes. "And yet you claim to know nothing of your family's past."

"Wait a second," Carter protested. "You're saying we're related to—"

"The gods choose their hosts carefully," Zia said. "They always prefer the blood of the pharaohs. When a magician has the blood of two royal families..."

Sadie exchanged looks with Carter.

"Our parents were from different royal lines," she said. "Dad...he must've been descended from Narmer, the first pharaoh. I told you he looked like that picture!"

"That's not possible," Carter said. "That was five thousand years ago." But I could see his mind was racing. "Then the Fausts..." He turned to Zia. "Ramesses the Great built this courtyard. You're telling me our mom's family is descended from him?" Gohan was starting to get a bit antsy, listening to all this. He had already floated down several minutes ago. This talking was starting to get on his nerves.

Zia sighed. "Don't tell me your parents kept this from you. Why do you think you are so dangerous to us?"

"You think we're hosting gods," Sadie said, absolutely stunned. "That's what you're worried about—just because of something our great-times-a-thousand grandparents did? That's completely daft."

"Look, maybe everyone should just calm down!" Gohan interrupted.

"Then prove it!" Zia said. "Show me how weak your magic is!" She turned her back on them, as if they were completely unimportant.

"Uh-oh." Gohan thought. The look on Sadie's face clearly indicated that she was pissed.

Sadie threw her staff straight at Zia. It hit the ground at her heels and immediately transformed into a snarling she-lion. Zia whirled in surprise, but then everything went wrong.

The lion turned and charged at Gohan. Gohan quickly snapped back into focus, and leaped out of the way. He quickly fired a large yellow ki blast into the lion, sending it tumbling across the ground. It quickly got to its feet and hissed at Carter. Gohan quickly moved to intercept, but Carter acted first.

Carter's form flickered. He rose off the ground, surrounded by a golden holographic shell like the one Bast had used, except that his giant image was a warrior with the head of a falcon. Carter swung his sword, and the falcon warrior did likewise, slicing the lion with a shimmering blade of energy. The cat dissolved in midair, and my staff clattered to the ground, cut neatly in half.

Carter's avatar shimmered, then disappeared. He dropped to the ground and grinned. "Fun."

"Wha…" Gohan's jaw dropped, which was something that really didn't happen very often.

Sadie turned defiantly to Zia. "Well? Better, right?"

Her face was ashen. "The falcon. He—he summoned—"

Before she could finish, footsteps pounded on the stones. A young initiate raced into the courtyard, looking panicked. Tears streaked his dusty face. He said something to Zia in hurried Arabic. When Zia got his message, she sat down hard in the sand. She covered her face and began to tremble.

The trio ran to her. "Zia?" Carter said. "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath, trying to gather her composure. When she looked up, her eyes were red. She said something to the adept, who nodded and ran back the way he'd come.

"News from the First Nome," she said shakily. "Iskandar..." Her voice broke. Gohan felt a ripple of surprise shoot through him.

He rembered Iskandar's strange words last night: It seems I, too, can rest at last. And his message to Chiron… it was a farewell. "He's dead, isn't he? That's what he meant."

Zia stared at Gohan. "What do you mean: 'That's what he meant'?"

"How did it happen?" Gohan demanded.

"In his sleep," Zia said. "He—he had been ailing for years, of course. But still..." Gohan snarled.

"Seriously? He's lived for over two thousand years and he just dies now when we need him? Worse timing ever!" he snapped in rage.

"Gohan!" Carter glared at him before turning back to Zia.

"It's okay," Carter said. "I know he was important to you."

She wiped at her tears, then rose unsteadily. "You don't understand. Desjardins is next in line. As soon as he is named Chief Lector, he will order you all executed."

"But we haven't done anything!" Sadie said.

Zia's eyes flashed with anger. "You still don't realize how dangerous you are? You are hosting gods. And you!" She glared at Gohan.

"Now what?" he snapped.

"You are even more dangerous than they are! You are an Otherworlder, an unknown. An extremely powerful unknown element. Desjardins knows of the things you've done since your arrival. Did you really thing you were going to go unnoticed for long? He sees your power as a threat, one he will go to great lengths to eliminate." Gohan simply growled.

"He can try." Gohan answered.

"That he will. He will order me to bring you in," Zia warned, "and I will have to obey."

Gohan immediately formed a ki ball in his fist and faced it at her.

"That's not going to happen. Move and I'll blast you." He stated coldly. He winched as he heard the words come out of his own mouth. He sounded like Piccolo or Vegeta, not his father.

"Gohan, wait!" Carter interrupted as he stood in front of Gohan and faced Zia.

"You saw what happened in the museum. We're not the problem. Set is. And if Desjardins isn't taking that seriously...well, maybe he's part of the problem too."

Zia gripped her staff. Gohan was sure she was going to fry them with a fireball, but she hesitated.

"Zia." Sadie interrupted. "Iskandar talked with me last night. He caught me sneaking around the Hall of Ages."

Gohan stared at her in shock. When had Sadie been out, since Iskandar had been with him?

"He said you were his best pupil," She recalled. "He said you were wise. He also said Carter and I have a difficult path ahead of us, and you would know how to help us when the time came." Gohan chose to step in.

"He told me that I needed to lead them. There's a lot of problems out there, way bigger than what Desjardins thinks." He added.

Her staff smoldered. Her eyes reminded him of glass about to shatter. "Desjardins wants us dead," he persisted. "Do you think that's what Iskandar had in mind?"

After several tense seconds, she lowered her staff. "Use the obelisk."

"What?" Sadie asked.

"The obelisk at the entrance, fool! You have five minutes, perhaps less, before Desjardins sends orders for your execution. Flee, and destroy Set. The Demon Days begin at sundown. All portals will stop working. You need to get as close as possible to Set before that happens."

"Hold on," Sadie said. "I meant you should come with us and help us! We can't even use an obelisk, much less destroy Set!"

"Forget it! We can handle this on our own!" Gohan stepped in front of them, his hands glowing.

"You have four minutes now. If you can't operate the obelisk, you'll die. Desjardins will order me to hunt you down," she warned. "Do you understand?" he understood.

"Crystal. I guess I better make this look good." Then, without any warning, he slammed his fist across Zia's face, sending her flying straight into a large pillar with a loud crack, which she then slid down and laid, crumped at the base.

"What did you do?" Carter screamed in shock as he started to face towards her. Gohan gritted his teeth, and then forcibly grabbed Carter's wrist.

"She'll be fine, but we need to leave right now!" He demanded as he then grabbed Sadie's wrist with his other hand, ignoring their protests. Then, they ran.


	18. Annabeth's Mom is a Real Dick

Gohan led them out of the temple and headed for the obelisk. But naturally, it wasn't that simple. Now, his first instinct had been to use Instant Transmission to get them out of there, but even after six months, his ki sensing was still completely wonky. At the end of summer, he had asked Annabeth about it. Her theory was that since Gohan was from a different dimension, he sensed energy at a different frequency. She figured that Gohan would adjust to it eventually, but he still wasn't having any luck. When he tried to sense stuff, he felt like he was full of static. So anyway, back to the chase. Just as they reached the obelisk, a bald magician in white robes stepped out of a whirling sand vortex about a hundred yards down the path,

"Hurry! Do whatever it is you need to do!" Gohan told Sadie. He show down and clocked the man across the face, sending him tumbling.

"But I don't know what I'm doing!" she protested, searching the obelisk's base as if she hoped to find a secret switch.

The magician regained his balance and spit the sand out of his mouth. Then he looked up with rage. "Stop!" Gohan cold-clocked him again.

"Yeah," he muttered. "That's gonna happen." Carter winched.

"Ow. That's gonna bruise."

"Paris." Sadie turned towards Carter. "You said the other obelisk is in Paris, right?"

"Right. Um, not to rush you, but..."

The magician raised his staff and started chanting. Gohan fired off a bright ki blast, smashing into the man's chest and sending him flying. He then leaped to avoid a bright yellow light. Gohan thought he was in the clear, until he felt the ground rumble. He whirled to see several large stone sphinxes rise from the ground. They roared and changed towards him.

"Soon would be nice!" Gohan roared.

"Paris!" she called, and raised her staff and wand. "I want to go there now. Three tickets. First-class would be nice!"

The sphinxes advanced. The nearest one launched itself toward Gohan. He brought out Ascension and sliced the monster in half. The monster evaporated into smoke, but it let out a blast of heat so intense Gohan thought his face was going to melt right off. Gohan leaped back several feet and patted himself down to put out the flames. But, he wasn't hurt. He blinked in confusion, and looked down to see himself wearing the leather jacket, draped over his new robes.

"Huh. Thank you Ares?" Gohan thought with confliction, as those were words that he thought he would never say in his life.

Two more sphinx ghosts loped toward Gohan. A dozen more were only a few steps behind.

Suddenly the ground shook. The sky darkened, and Sadie yelled, "Yes!"

The obelisk glowed with purple light, humming with power. Sadie touched the stone and yelped. She was sucked inside and disappeared.

"Sadie!" Gohan yelled.

In his moment of distraction, two of the sphinxes slammed into the young saiyan, knocking him to the ground. Ascension skittered away.

"Get off!" Gohan grunted as he grappled with the sphinx. He pressed his feet beneath the sphinx, and sent the Sphinx flying into the sky. With his other hand, he whirled and punched the other Sphix in the nose, causing it to let out a roar of pain. But two more pounced in the moment. The heat coming off the creatures was unbearable—it was like being crushed under a hot oven.

Gohan stretched out his fingers toward the obelisk. Just a few inches too far. He could hear the other sphinxes coming, the magician chanting, "Hold him! Hold him!" Gohan gritted his teeth with rage and snapped. He let out a massive roar as his body glowed yellow, and blew all the creatures away in a blast of wind and light. Not wasting a second, he shot towards

His fingertips touched the base, and the world went black.

Suddenly, Gohan was lying on cold, wet stone. He was in the middle of a huge public plaza. Rain was pouring down, and the chilly air told him that he was no longer in Egypt.

Sadie stumbled over. "Gohan! Oh god, are you okay… whoa." Gohan groaned as he stood to his feet, still glowing gold. For a brief second, his eyes met hers. Then, they changed back to black, and Gohan was himself again. Carter seemed alright, just a little scuffed up as he pulled himself back to his feet.

"Well well…" Gohan whirled to face a cloaked figure. She threw off her coat, and a woman in a leopard-skin acrobatic suit grinned down at me, showing off her fangs and her lamplike yellow eyes.

"Miss me?" asked Bast.

Several minutes later, they huddled under the heaves of a big white government building and watched the rain pour down on the Place de la Concorde. It was a miserable day to be in Paris. The winter skies were heavy and low, and the cold, wet air soaked right into his bones. There were no tourists, no foot traffic. Everyone with any sense was inside by a fire enjoying a hot drink. To be frank, it looked very different than the magazine pictures Annabeth had shown Gohan back at camp.

To their right, the River Seine wound sluggishly through the city. Across the enormous plaza, the gardens of the Tuileries were shrouded in a soupy haze. The Egyptian obelisk rose up lonely and dark in the middle of the square. They waited for more enemies to pop out of it, but none came.

"We should keep moving. They'll be after all of us now." Gohan stated gravely. Even if he wanted to go back to camp, he couldn't. It was likely they'd follow him back there, and he couldn't put Percy, Annabeth, or the camp in danger.

"I wouldn't worry about them just yet. The House will assume you teleported somewhere else."

"Why?"

"Paris is the Fourteenth Nome—Desjardins' headquarters. You would be insane trying to hide in his home territory."

"Great." Sadie sighed.

"And your amulets do shield you. AS for the Otherworlder… well, their spells can't detect him. Magic doesn't work well on Otherworlders." Bast added.

"Marvelous." Gohan replied.

"I could find Sadie anywhere because of my promise to protect her. But the amulets will keep you veiled from the eyes of Set and from other magicians."

"But the scorpions!" Sadie scrunched in closer, shivering and drawing Bast's raincoat around her shoulders. "We saw them overwhelm you!"

Bast made a purring sound. "Dear Sadie, you do care! I must say I've worked for many children of the pharaohs, but you two—" She looked genuinely touched. "Well, I'm sorry if I worried you. It's true the scorpions reduced my power to almost nothing. I held them off as long as I could. Then I had just enough energy to revert to Muffin's form and slip into the Duat."

"I thought you weren't good at portals," Gohan said.

"Well, first off, boy, there are many ways in and out of the Duat. It has many different regions and layers—the Abyss, the River of Night, the Land of the Dead, the Land of Demons—"

"Sounds lovely," Sadie muttered.

"Anyway, portals are like doors. They pass through the Duat to connect one part of the mortal world to another. And yes, I'm not good at those. But I am a creature of the Duat. If I'm on my own, slipping into the nearest layer for a quick escape is relatively easy."

"And if they'd killed you?" Carter asked. "I mean, killed Muffin?"

"That would've banished me deep into the Duat. It would've been rather like putting my feet in concrete and dropping me into the middle of the sea. It would've taken years, perhaps centuries, before I would've been strong enough to return to the mortal world. Fortunately, that didn't happen. I came back straightaway, but by the time I got to the museum, the magicians had already captured you."

"We weren't exactly captured," Carter said.

"Really, Carter? How long were you all in the First Nome before they decided to kill you?"

"Um, about twenty-four hours."

Bast whistled. "They've gotten friendlier! They used to blast godlings to dust in the first few minutes."

"They didn't try to kill me, just saying." Gohan added. Bast looked at him and snorted.

"Of course they couldn't! You've got a powerful alliance with the Greeks going on. They wouldn't risk their wrath by harming you." Gohan sighed.

"Of course…" Gohan trailed off when he heard a voice whisper in the back of his head.

"Come." It whispered. Gohan whirled around in confusion, trying to find the source of the voice. Then, he yet out a loud yelp as something bumped his leg, looking down to see a little girl run past, ignoring Sadie's angry yelp. She stopped at the corner and looked back with a small smile, staring right at Gohan with a pair of grey eyes. She was dressed in a small brown dress, which fluttered as she made a tiny wave.

"That was rude!" Sadie snapped. Bast let out a hiss.

"That is not a little girl." Gohan simply looked at the girl, who made another notion with her hand before running around the corner

Against his better judgment, he took off after it, ignoring the shocked yells of Carter and Sadie. He ignored the angry yells and comments as he wove his way through the few people out, managing to keep an eye on the little girl. Before he knew it, Gohan found himself standing in a large plaza, in front of a massive steel structure that he recalled was called the Eiffel Tower. He frowned in confusion as he looked around, the girl seemingly vanished. He heard a loud giggle, and turned to see the girl dash into the tower. Gohan frowned, but decided to take a quicker route. He shot into the air, and shot up the side of the tower, landing on the observation deck. He looked around in confusion, not sure exactly what he was doing.

"At long last, we meet." Gohan whirled to see the little girl standing in front of him. Then, the girl instantly morphed, and Gohan found himself facing an adult woman. She had long black hair, tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing an elegant white dress, and had brilliant grey eyes that seemed to bore right into him. To be frank, Gohan was scared of her. Gohan wasn't sure how, but he recognized her. Or at least, he thought he had.

"Annab-" he quickly cut himself off, realizing who this woman was, and why he had made that mistake. This was Annabeth's mother… Athena.

"You're Annabeth's mom." That was all Gohan was able to get out. She looked amused.

"I prefer Athena, Goddess of wisdom, handicrafts, useful arts, and battle strategy." She stated coldly.

"Ummmm… okay." Athena didn't even smile as her eyes glared right at him, causing him to cringe.

"Hmph. I can see why Ares was so careless with you. You keep the majority of your power hidden, and only bring it out in short bursts. You would be quite a fascinating opponent…" to be frank, Gohan had absolutely no desire to fight her. For one, she was Annabeth's mom. The second was simply that he could sense the sheer skill she had. Fighting her probably wouldn't end well.

"While Zeus and Poseidon have their own opinions about you, I still believe you are a threat that can be used against us, especially given your victory over Ares." Gohan scowled in annoyance.

"Did you come all this way just to threaten me?" Gohan asked sarcastically. She looked amused.

"No. For the moment, Olympus needs your aid. Although Zeus wont admit it, this situation with the Egyptians gods is a far greater threat to Olympus than he claims. I am among the few that believe differently." Gohan jolted. Now, he remembered why she looked familiar.

"You were at the House of Life! You were spying on me!" Athena looked annoyed.

"I prefer observing. As you already know, there are certain… rules for gods. We cannot act directly against each other, and the same goes for other deities."

"Which is why you guys use demigods. Yeah, Annabeth told me."

"Yes… though in this instance, we cannot send Greek demigods on a quest. The last such instance was… unpleasant."

"Okay. I already got that." Athena nodded.

"I do not trust you. I believe you are an unknown, and could very likely pose a threat to Olympus should you desire such. Yet… you aided my daughter in recovering the Master Bolt, and prevented a civil war between the gods. That cannot be ignored."

"Which you seemed more than happy to be a part of, based off what I heard." Gohan normally didn't make wisecracks like that, but that one just slid out. Athena's eyes narrowed

"Choose your words carefully, boy. Don't think your friendship with my daughter will help you here." Gohan looked a little baffled.

"You still haven't explained why you're here." Athena glowed bright for a brief moment, and Gohan quickly covered his eyes, in case she turned into her immortal form. But, the light quickly faded away, and he lowered his arms to see Athena scowling at him.

"Should Set succeed, much of this land will be devastated, and Olympus will be thrown into chaos. This, in turn, will lead to our own foes seizing the opportunity and running rampant. Tell me, does it not seem suspicious that some mysterious warrior would manipulate a desperate magician into setting free the Egyptian gods, just a few months after a plot to set us against each other failed?" Gohan stared at Athena.

"Wait, you think Luke's behind this?" Gohan asked, feeling his anger swell.

"The son of Hermes? Perhaps. More likely, it is another pawn of the one behind all this. "

"You mean Kro…"

"Don't say his name!" Athena interrupted. Gohan looked surprised.

"Boy, this whole stunt is nothing more than a distraction. A ruse to keep us focused on these Egyptians, and force us to turn on each other, rather than focus on the true mastermind of these plots, and his true plan." Gohan looked surprised.

"That's actually… pretty smart." Athena looked annoyed.

"Of course it is. Whoever concocted this plan is quite skilled at strategy." She stated, causing Gohan to grumble.

"So… what do you want with me?" Athena looked down at Gohan.

"I have my reservations about you, boy. But, given the current situation… it seems Olympus requires your services. For this situation, I have decided to personally assign you a quest." Gohan was a little bit baffled.

"A quest?" she nodded.

"Yes. A quite simple one, really. You must stop Set from completing his Red Pyramid and unleashing chaos." Then, a bright blue bag materialized in her hand, which she promptly dropped at Gohan's feet.

"So… basically exactly what I've already been doing?" Athena's eyes flashed, causing Gohan to cringe.

"Don't jest with me, boy." Gohan sighed. It was like arguing with Annabeth all over again."

"I'm sure Annabeth would appreciate the compliment." Athena spoke calmly, causing Gohan to yelp. He forgot how gods could read minds.

"Since this is a quest, any tips? I don't exactly have an Oracle on hand." Athena looked annoyed.

"Find the Book of Thoth." Gohan looked confused.

"What?"

"I will not repeat myself. You must acquire the Book of Thoth, and give it to your magician. Only she can use it. You'll find it in the residence of the new Chief Lektor, here in this city."

"Okay?"

"Then, seek out Thoth. He has found a new home in Memphis."

"Memphis...Egypt?" Athena looked appalled.

"What does my daughter see in an imbecile like you? I'm referring to Memphis, Tennessee. Your new… companions will know where Memphis is." Athena looked disgusted.

"I don't know which I revile more: you, those godling amateurs, or that… feline. Still…" Athena held up her hand, and a small flash filled the air. When it faded, a silver owl pendant was floating above her hand.

"Show this to Thoth. He will know I sent you." Gohan plucked the pendant from the air and placed it into his pocket.

"Thank you for your aid, Athena." Gohan said with a small bow, finally remembering Annabeth's warnings. She smirked

"Well, I see you know at least some semblance of respect. I was almost considering turning you into a spider, or perhaps a monkey." Gohan shuddered.

"Ummm… thanks? I'm grateful that you went out of your way to help us." The goddess simply scowled.

"Don't assume this means I've changed my perception about you. I still believe you are a threat to Olympus. This is simply a means to an end." Gohan actually felt a little bit hurt. This reminded him of how Vegeta(initially) had teamed up with him and Krillin, just to use them to fight against Frieza.

"Are all of you like this?" Athena shimmered briefly.

"One last thing." Gohan scowled.

"What?" he asked.

"The other reason that I wished to meet you. I would prefer that you stay away from Annabeth." Needless to say, Gohan was not expecting that. His nostrils flared, and he gnashed his teeth in disbelief.

"Excuse me?" he demanded.

"Yes. Stay away from my child." Gohan had a very strong desire to punch this lady.

"I don't think Annabeth would appreciate this." Athena's eyes blazed.

"Fool. I have seen that you will bring her much pain and suffering." Gohan felt pure shock and disbelief run through him.

"What? What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"I have had… glimpses into the future. Yours is… unclear, muddled. But, I have at least seen that should you continue to associate yourself with Annabeth, she will suffer dearly, both emotionally and physically." Gohan looked shocked.

"How?" he demanded.

"… Again, this future is… unclear. Apollo is the one who is the God of Oracles. Now then, choose wisely, boy. You already made Ares as an enemy." she gestured at the jacket on Gohan.

"Now then, boy, decide who you want as an ally… and an enemy." Then, Athena gestured, and Gohan didn't even get a chance to yell before he vanished in a flash of bright light.


	19. Desjardins' House is Really Batty!

When it came to making first impressions with gods, Gohan wasn't exactly the best. Then again, Athena seemed a bit like a jerk. She didn't even set him down properly. He appeared several feet above the ground, and properly face-planted with a loud splat.

"Ow!" Gohan groaned as he pushed himself up.

"Well, that was dramatic." He blinked to see Sadie, Carter and Bast standing in front of him, Carter and Sadie had baffled looks on their faces.

"Care to tell us what that was about? You went chasing after that little girl like you saw a ghost or something." Sadie demanded.

"It's a long story. Let's just say that I got some advice on where to go next. We need to go to Desjardins' house and get the book of Thoth. Then we need to find Thoth. He's in Memphis, Tennessee." Carter and Sadie looked amazed.

"Some?" Carter asked incredulously.

"Who told you all this?" Sadie demanded.

"Let's just say, we all have a friend who thinks we're the only ones who can stop whatever's going on."

"And what, we're supposed to just believe this? Your friend could be a spy, or trying to lead us into a House of Life trap!" Gohan had to resist the urge to laugh.

"I believe him." Bast finally spoke.

"Seriously?" Sadie asked incredulously.

"Because we're not the only ones who want Set's plans to fail." Gohan had a very good feeling Bast knew exactly who their new "friend" was.

"So, first thing is that we need is to find Desjardins' house." Sadie snorted.

"You might wanna turn around, genius." Gohan was confused for an instant before he turned and saw the mansion.

"Wow." Was all he could say.

The house was spectacular. The spikes atop its wrought iron fence were gilded. Even in the winter rain, the front garden was bursting with flowers. Five stories of white marble walls and black- shuttered windows loomed before us, the whole thing topped off by a roof garden. It was pretty luxurious, specially compared with most of the buildings from his world.

"Welcome to Casa Douche!" Sadie grinned.

"Right on the rue des Pyramides." Carter added.

"Pyramids Road?" Sadie said. "Obvious, much?"

"Maybe he couldn't find a place on Stupid Evil Magician Street," Gohan suggested, causing Sadie to snort again.

"Not bad, you're improving!" Sadie chuckled

Carter pointed to the front door, which was painted bright red. "Isn't red a bad color in Egypt? The color of Set?"

Bast scratched her chin. "Now that you mention it, yes. It's the color of chaos and destruction."

"I thought black was the evil color," Sadie said.

"No, dear. You watch too much television. As usual, modern folk have it backward. Black is the color of good soil, like the soil of the Nile. You can grow food in black soil. Food is good. Therefore black is good. Red is the color of desert sand. Nothing grows in the desert. Therefore red is evil." She frowned. "It is strange that Desjardins has a red door."

"Well, I'm excited," Sadie grumbled. "Let's go knock."

"There will be guards," Bast said. "And traps. And alarms. You can bet the house is heavily charmed to keep out gods."

"Magicians can do that?" Sadie asked.

"Alas, yes," Bast said. "I will not be able to cross the threshold uninvited. You, however—"

"But not Otherworlders?" Gohan interrupted. Bast grumbled as she contemplated that.

"Yes… though perhaps I wasn't clear before. You may be able to see through illusions and not be affected by most types of magic, but you might still be harmed by direct assaults."

"I can handle myself." Gohan cracked his knuckleds together.

"Hello! I thought we're gods too," Sadie said.

"That's the beauty of it," Bast said. "As hosts, you are still quite human. I have taken full possession of Muffin, so I am pretty much me—a goddess. But you are still—well, yourselves. Clear?"

"No," I said.

"I suggest you turn into birds," Bast said. "You can fly to the roof garden and make your way in. Plus, I like birds."

"Did you just say birds?" Gohan asked with a disbelieving look on his face.

"Yes, boy, birds. Not all of us can fly on a whim. And birds are very subtle. No one looks twice at a bird."

"First problem," Carter said, "we don't know how to turn into birds."

"Easily fixed! And a good test at channeling godly power. Both Isis and Horus have bird forms. Simply imagine yourselves as birds, and birds you shall become."

"Just like that," Sadie said. "You won't pounce on us?"

Bast looked offended. "Perish the thought!"

Okay," Sadie said. "Here goes." Then, Sadie and Carter stood stiff and closed their eyes.

"Should something be happening?" Gohan asked ten minutes later. Sadie and Carter were still in the same spot, though Sadie was twitching uncomfortably.

"Be patient, boy. Shapeshifting is not a simple task." Bast barked.

"All I have to do is look at the full moon." Gohan thought to himself, feeling his tail twitch around him. Then, Sadie and Carter let out a yelp and then… changed. Gohan let out a shocked choking noise. If he had been drinking something, he probably would have spit it out. Carter and Sadie seemed to both shrink and condense an instant. Now in their place was a majestic falcon and

a beautiful gray bird of prey, black-tipped wings and golden eyes. He later found out that the type of bird Sadie had turned into was a kite.

"Oh, you two look delicious," Bast said, licking her lips. "No, no—er, I mean wonderful. Now, off you go!"

"Uhhh… I'll be right behind you!" Gohan added.

Carter launched himself off the sidewalk and flew straight into the fence. Gohan cringed.

"Ha—ha—ha," Sadie chirped behind me.

"Hang on, I've got you." Gohan carefully pried Carter out of the fence and placed him back on the ground. Carter spread his wings, kicked off with his feet, and with three strong flaps, was soaring through the rain. Sadie was right behind him. Together they spiraled up into the air. Gohan started to go after them.

"Wait, boy." He turned to look at Bast.

"Your friend. Which one? Do not lie to me." She growled. Gohan was silent for a minute before answering.

"Athena." Bast let out a combination of hissing, growling, and curse language that Gohan couldn't understand.

"Of course, the owl. Why am I not surprised?" she spat.

"I think she actually wants to help us." Gohan feebly tried to counter.

"By help, I assume you mean having us do her dirty work." Gohan scowled.

"She doesn't want Set to win anymore than we do! She gave me some good advice, and now we know where to go next!" He protested.

"Be wary, boy. Many gods aren't what they seem. This goddess is only using you." She warned. Gohan snarled before he shot into the air, quickly overlooking the mansion. Gohan plummeted down towards a pair of large doors on the roof. A tiny twitch told him to told back, but he quickly shrugged it off. He really didn't like magic.

He rammed straight into the doors—and sailed through them as if they didn't exist.

"About time you showed up!" Gohan turned to see Carter, sitting on a table in his regular clothes, and his workbag back on his shoulder.

They were alone in the middle of a library. So far, so good.

"Bast wanted to talk to me about something. Where's Sadie?" Carter frowned and pointed, and he turned to see the little kite on the piano.

"She's still a bird." Carter looked annoyed.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Gohan shook his head.

"You can turn back now," he told her.

She tilted her head and regarded him quizzically. She let out a frustrated croak. Gohan was starting to get a bad feeling. He had had some experience with losing your mind while in a transformed form. He didn't have much memory from his times in Ape form, but he could remember intense rage.

"Sadie, are you stuck?"

She pecked his hand with her extremely sharp beak.

"Hey! Look, concentrate! Focus on me." She closed her eyes and ruffled her feathers until she looked like she was going to explode, but she stayed a kite.

"Don't worry," Carter said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Bast will help once we get out of here."

"Ha—ha—ha."

"Just keep watch. We're going to look around." Carter stated.

"Shouldn't we be worried? What if she's stuck like that?"

"We'll worry about it later. Let's find that book."

The room was huge—more like a traditional library than a magician's lair. The furniture was dark mahogany. Every wall was covered with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Books overflowed onto the floor. Some were stacked on tables or stuffed into smaller shelves. A big easy chair by the window looked like the kind of place Sherlock Holmes would sit smoking a pipe.

Every step they took, the floorboards creaked, which made Carter wince.

Aside from the glass doors to the rooftop, the only other exit was a solid wooden door that locked from the inside. Carter turned the deadbolt, then wedged a chair up under the handle.

"I seriously doubt that's going to hold back a skilled magician." Gohan commented as he flipped through a book.

"It might buy us a few seconds if things go bad." Carter countered. Gohan scowled as he finished the book and started with a second.

"What does this Book of Thoth even look like?" he wondered out loud. Carter feebly shrugged. Gohan groaned.

"Thanks a lot Athena! You couldn't tell me what this blasted book looks like?!"

The two of them searched the bookshelves for what seemed like ages, and given that Gohan can think and read extremely fast, that was saying something. All different types of books were jammed together—nothing alphabetized, nothing numbered. Most of the titles weren't in English. None were in hieroglyphics. They were hoping for something with big gold lettering that said The Book of Thoth, but no such luck.

"We can't keep doing this forever!" Gohan finally pointed out.

Carter slung his dad's bag off his shoulder, set his magic box on the table and slid open the top. The little wax figure was still there, right where he'd left him. Carter picked him up and said, "Doughboy, help me find The Book of Thoth in this library."

His waxy eyes opened immediately. "And why should I help you?" "Because you have no choice."

"And I'll melt you into a puddle." Gohan added.

"I hate that argument! Fine—hold me up. I can't see the shelves."

Carter walked him around the room, showing him the books. He felt pretty stupid giving the wax doll a tour, but probably not as stupid as Sadie felt. She was still in bird form, scuttling back and forth on the table and snapping her beak in frustration as she tried to change back. Gohan was just feeling antsy.

"Hold it!" Doughboy announced. "This one is ancient—right here."

Gohan reached up and pulled down a thin volume bound in linen. It was so tiny, that they would've missed it, but sure enough, the front cover was inscribed in hieroglyphics. They brought it over to the table and carefully opened it. It was more like a map than a book, unfolding into four parts until they were looking at a wide, long papyrus scroll with writing so old Carter could barely make out the characters. To Gohan, it looked like gibberish.

Carter glanced at Sadie. "I bet you could read this to me if you weren't a bird." She tried to peck him, but he moved my hand.

"Doughboy," Carter said. "What is this scroll?"

"A spell lost in time!" he pronounced.

"Ancient words of tremendous power!" "Well?" I demanded. "Does it tell how to defeat Set?"

"Better! The title reads: The Book of Summoning Fruit Bats!" they stared at him.

"Are you serious?" Gohan demanded

"Would I joke about such a thing?"

"Why would we want to summon fruit bats!?" Gohan roared.

"Ha—ha—ha," Sadie croaked.

Carter pushed the scroll away and they went back to searching. After about ten minutes, Doughboy squealed with delight. "Oh, look! I remember this painting."

It was a small oil portrait in a gilded frame, hanging on the end of a bookshelf. It must've been important, because it was bordered by little silk curtains. A light shone upon the portrait dude's face so he seemed about to tell a ghost story.

"Isn't that the guy who plays Wolverine?" Carter asked, because he had some serious jowl hair going on. "You disgust me!" Doughboy said.

"That is Jean-François Champollion."

"Well, that answers everything." Gohan replied sarcastically.

It took Carter a second, but he remembered the name. "The guy who deciphered hieroglyphics from the Rosetta Stone."

"Of course. Desjardins' great uncle."

"Great uncle? But wouldn't that make Desjardins—"

"About two hundred years old," Doughboy confirmed.

"Still a youngster. You know that when Champollion first deciphered hieroglyphics, he fell into a coma for five days? He became the first man outside the House of Life to ever unleash their magic, and it almost killed him. Naturally, that got the attention of the First Nome. Champollion died before he could join the House of Life, but the Chief Lector accepted his descendants for training. Desjardins is very proud of his family...but a little sensitive too, because he's such a newcomer."

"You guys have a weird definition of old and newcomer." Gohan stated with wide eyes. Doughboy laughed.

"That's why he didn't get along with our family," Carter guessed. "We're like...ancient."

Doughboy cackled. "And your father breaking the Rosetta Stone? Desjardins would've viewed that as an insult to his family honor! Oh, you should've seen the arguments Master Julius and Desjardins had in this room."

"You've been here before?"

"Many times! I've been everywhere. I'm all-knowing." Then, Gohan grabbed Carter's arm, causing him to jump.

"Someone's coming.

Suddenly there was a banging sound below them, like someone closing a door downstairs.

"Show me where The Book of Thoth is," Carter ordered Doughboy. "Quick!"

As they moved down the shelves, Doughboy grew so warm in Carter's hands, he was afraid the little figure would melt. He kept a running commentary on the books.

"Ah, Mastery of the Five Elements!" "Is that the one we want?" Carter asked.

"No, but a good one. How to tame the five essential elements of the universe—earth, air, water, fire, and cheese!"

"Cheese?" Gohan asked incredulously.

He scratched his wax head. "I'm pretty sure that's the fifth, yes. But moving right along!"

They turned to the next shelf. "No," he announced. "No. Boring. Boring. Oh, Clive Cussler! No. No."

Gohan was starting to lose his patience when Doughboy finally said "There."

They froze. "Where—here?"

"The blue book with the gold trim," he said. Gohan frowned. This was too easy.

"Carter wait, it might be!"

Carter pulled it out, and the entire room began to shake.

"—trapped," Gohan groaned.

Sadie squawked urgently. They turned and saw her take flight. Something small and black swooped down from the ceiling. Sadie clashed with it in midair, and the black thing disappeared down her throat.

Before either of them could even register how gross that was, alarms blared downstairs. More black forms dropped from the ceiling and seemed to multiply in the air, swirling into a funnel cloud of fur and wings.

"Fruit bats?" Gohan asked with an annoyed expression.

"There's your answer," Doughboy answered. "Desjardins would want to summon fruit bats. You mess with the wrong books, you trigger a plague of fruit bats. That's the trap!" Gohan quickly pressed his hands together and thust out, surrounding him and Carter in a bright blue shield.

The things were on them an instant later, screeching and cawing as they tried to break through.

"Sadie, get out of here!" Gohan yelled.

"SAW!" she cried.

"I need to get my dad's bag!" Carter yelled. Gohan nodded.

"Hold on!" Gohan let out a roar as he thrust his hands out, blowing the shield out in a massive rush of light and wind. Carter coughed as the smoke faded, and goggled. The majestic library had been completely totaled. It looked like a tornado had blown through. The shelves were toppled, papers strewn everywhere, not to mention the piano was smashed against an adjacent wall. Thankfully, it also seemed like the bats had either been stunned or blown out.

"That wont keep them back for long! Hurry!" Carter nodded as he ran towards the toppled table and shifted through the rubble, quickly finding his Dad's workbag, and shoving the book and Doughboy inside. The library door rattled. Voices yelled in French, sounding pretty enraged.

"You better do that bird thing! I'll be right behind you!" Gohan roared as his hands glowed.

"Horus, bird time! Carter thought desperately. And no emu, please!" he ran for the glass doors. At the last second, Carter found himself flying—once again a falcon, bursting into the cold rain. As the falcon flew out the door, Gohan quickly followed suit, running and flying straight out the window. Based on the livid screeches reaching his ears, they were being chased by some VERY pissed off fruit bats. Though, their speed was nothing compared to his.

Once outside, he paused and shot straight upwards, speeding into the sky in a bright blue comet, hoping to draw the bats away from the others. He outdistanced the bats easily but let them keep close enough that they wouldn't give up. Then, with a burst of speed, he turned in a tight circle and whirled back. He almost gulped at the sight of the massive black horde in front of him.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Gohan roared as he thrust his hands out, shooting out a massive blue blast that bathed the bats, turning them into ashes. Gohan then shot downwards toward the others in a hundred- mile-an-hour dive.

Bast looked up in surprise as he plummeted to the sidewalk, landing cleanly in front of her.

"Showoff." Gohan blinked in surprise to see that Sadie was back to normal, much to his relief.

"Nice show back there!" Carter grinned, also back to normal form.

"That was just the first wave, we need to get out of here! Exit strategy, quick!" Gohan stated.

"The Louvre." Bast grabbed their hands. "It's got the closest portal."

Then the red door of Desjardins' house blasted open, but they didn't wait to see what came out of it. They ran for their lives down the rue des Pyramides.


	20. Resting in the Washington Monument

"Move!" Gohan roared as they raced along in the cold rain. He glanced back and saw two figures chasing them—men with shaved heads and goatees and black raincoats. They might've passed for normal mortals except they each carried a glowing staff. Not a good sign.

"Buzz off!" Gohan yelled as he hurled back a yellow ki blast. It flew back into the men, showering the air with dust and light. Gohan didn't wait to see if it had worked. To be fair, he could have been hundreds of miles away by now, but he didn't want to leave Carter and Sadie behind.

"Sadie," Bast called as they ran. "You'll have only seconds to open the portal."

"Where is it?" she yelled.

They dashed across the rue de Rivoli into a wide plaza surrounded by the wings of the Louvre. Bast made straight for the glass pyramid at the entrance, glowing in the dusk.

"You can't be serious," Sadie said.

"That isn't a real pyramid." "Of course it's real," Bast said. "The shape gives a pyramid its power. It is a ramp to the heavens." The ground seemed to rumble behind them.

"Don't slow down!" Bast warned.

They arrived at the base of the pyramid. The plaza was thankfully empty.

"One minute until sundown," Bast warned. "Our last chance for summoning is now." A loud screech filled the air.

"Sounds like the bats are coming back!" Gohan yelled as his hands started to glow. He fired a large blue blast as the first swarm appeared, incerating a large group of them.

Bast unsheathed her knives and started slicing bats out of the air, trying to keep them away from Sadie. Carter's wand flew wildly, knocking fruit bats every which way. Gohan fired off beams every chance he got. Then, the pyramid trembled. Its glass walls shimmered and the top of the structure began to glow. A swirling sand vortex appeared, all right. Only one problem: it was hovering above the very top of the pyramid.

"Climb!" Bast said. Easy for her—she was a cat. "The side is too steep!" Carter objected. Gohan looked from Carter to the portal. He could easily fly through it, but they couldn't… or could they?

He'd done a good job with the bats. Dazed heaps littered the pavement, but more still flew round us, biting every bit of exposed skin, and the magicians were closing in. Then, a light popped into his head.

"I'll toss you!" Gohan said.

"Excuse me?" Carter protested, but Gohan didn't have time. He grabbed Carter's waist and hurled him straight up like a bullet.

"I think I'm gonna be!" Carter was cut off when he slipped straight through the portal.

"Now you, Sadie," Gohan yelled as he reached towards her. She recoiled.

"You're not touching my ass, you perv!" Gohan simply shook his head.

"You can curse me out later!" He grabbed Sadie and hurled her up like a bullet. She screamed as she shot through the portal.

Then, a man's voice yelled, "Stop!"

Stupidly, he froze. The voice was so powerful, it was hard not to.

The two magicians were approaching. The taller one spoke in perfect English: "Surrender, boy, and return our master's property."

"A little late for that!" Gohan taunted, causing the two magicians to snarl.

"Don't listen, boy." Bast warned. "Come here."

"The cat goddess deceives you," the magician said. "She abandoned her post. She endangered us all. She will lead you to ruin!"

He turned to Bast. Her expression had changed. She looked wounded, even grief-stricken.

"What does he mean?" Gohan asked. "What did you do wrong?"

"We have to leave," she warned. "Or they will kill us. Go! I can make it on my own." Gohan frowned, but slowly nodded in agreement.

"See you in America." Then, Gohan shot into the air, making for the portal.

He heard the magician roar, "Surrender!" And an explosion rattled the glass next to his head. Then he plunged into the hot vortex of sand, which was as unpleasant as it sounded. He landed in a small room with industrial carpeting, gray walls, and metal-framed windowsGohan sat up groggily and discovered he was coated in cold, wet sand. Which was really, really unpleasant. Well, not on his jacket(Thanks to Ares). But it was all over his hair and tail, which was even worse. Ever tried to get sand out of your pet's fur? Yeah, that bad.

"Uggggh… I need a shower!" Gohan groaned in exasperation as he looked over himself. Then, he pressed his lips together and concentrated, then expelled a small ki burst outwards, expelling the sand off him like a dust cloud.

"HEY!" Carter complained, causing Gohan to turn.

Carter and Bast stood by the window, brushing themselves off. Sadie was sitting up, rubbing her head.

"Could you not?" Carter groaned in exasperation as he and Bast tried to shake themselves free of sand,

"You've got to see this view," Carter said. Gohan walked over.

"Whoa." He said with wide eyes.

An entire city spread out below them. A river curved off to their left, and the land was mostly flat. There were white government buildings clustered around networks of parks and circular roads, all spread out under a winter sky. But the light was wrong. It was still afternoon here, so they must've traveled west. As Gohan looked down at the buildings, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen these buildings before.

"Is that...the White House?" Sadie spoke. Then, Gohan realized where he had seen them before: pictures Annabeth had shown him back at camp when giving him a summary of the basics of her world.

"You got us to America, all right. Washington, D.C." Carter stated.

"But we're sky high!"

Bast chuckled. "You didn't specify any particular American city, did you?" Gohan sighed.

"Well, al least we didn't land somewhere hazardous, like a volcano. Teleporting blindly can be really dangerous." Sadie glared at him

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gohan shrugged

"So Sadie, you got the default portal for the U.S.—the largest single source of Egyptian power in North America."

The biggest obelisk ever constructed," she said. "The Washington Monument." Gohan made a mental note to tell Annabeth about this when he got the chance.

Sadie let out a tiny squeak as she stumbled. Carter grabbed his shoulder and helped him sit down.

"You should rest," he said. "You passed out for...how long, Bast?"

"Two hours and thirty-two minutes," she said. "I'm sorry, Sadie. Opening more than one portal a day is extremely taxing, even with Isis helping." Gohan squaked.

"Wait, what? What do you mean two hours?" Bast looked at him and shook her head.

"It took the Duat longer to spit you out this time, boy. Though you didn't sense it, as it feels instantaneous, you were in the Duat for a long time."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?" Carter asked. Bast sighed.

"Gohan is not from this world, so it can be difficult at times for the Duat to process him through. Be wary, for you might end up trapped between worlds forever if you're not careful." Gohan squawked.

"Why are you just telling me this now?" He demanded.

"I'm with him!" Carter added. Bast shrugged.

"It's worked out this far. So… now you know. A safe solution is to make sure you're holding Carter or Sadie's hand next time, and they'll lead you safely through." Gohan sighed.

"So… now what? We've got the book, so let's go to Troph. We know where he is. Let's have Sadie open a portal to Tennessee."

Carter frowned. "It's not sunset here yet. We should open one and get to Arizona. That's where Set is."

Bast pursed her lips. "Sadie can't summon another portal. It would overextend her powers. I don't have the talent. And you, Carter...well, your abilities lie elsewhere. No offense."

"Oh, no," he grumbled. "I'm sure you'll call me next time you need to break into someone's house."

"Besides," Bast said, "when a portal is used, it needs time to cool down. No one will be able to use the Washington Monument—"

"For another twelve hours." Carter cursed. "I forgot about that."

Bast nodded. "And by then, the Demon Days will have begun."

"So we need another way to Arizona," Carter said. Gohan almost butted in with his offer of instant transmission, but instantly fell when he remembered that there was no one's energy he could use, as he was still having a problem sensing energy in this world.

"I still say we go to Troph." Bast snarled.

Gohan glanced at Bast out the corner of his eye. He wanted to ask her what the men at the Louvre had meant about her leading them to ruin, but he had concerns. He wanted to believe she was on their side, but experience had taught him that caution was something best followed. Perhaps if he gave her a chance, she'd volunteer the information.

"At least those magicians can't follow us," he prompted.

Bast hesitated. "Not through the portal, no. But there are other magicians in America. And worse...Set's minions." Gohan frowned at that, but decided to continue.

"There are places here in America that they can't go. Safe places." Bast glared at him.

"Not the place you're thinking of. Our kind are not welcome there." Bast answered.

"What about Thoth's spellbook?" he asked. "Did we at least find a way to fight Set?"

Carter pointed to the corner of the room. Spread out on Bast's raincoat was the magic toolbox and the blue book they'd stolen from Desjardins.

"Maybe you can make sense of it, Sadie." Carter said. "Bast and I couldn't read it. Even Doughboy was stumped."

Sadie picked up the book and scrolled it over, her face puzzled in confusion. After several moments, she closed the book in frustration. "All that work for nothing." "Now, now," Bast said. "It's not so bad."

"Right," Carter said. "We're stuck in Washington, D.C. We have two days to make it to Arizona and stop a god we don't know how to stop. And if we can't, we'll never see our dad or Amos again, and the world might end."

"That's the spirit!" Bast said brightly. "Now, let's have a picnic." Gohan let himself smile. He was starving.

She snapped her fingers. The air shimmered, and a pile of Friskies cans and two jugs of milk appeared on the carpet. Gohan let out a pitiful moan.

"Um," Carter said, "can you conjure any people food?" Bast blinked. "Well, no accounting for taste."

The air shimmered again. A plate of grilled cheese sandwiches and crisps appeared, along with a six- pack of Coke. Gohan let out a happy cheer.

"This is more like it!" He then proceeded to gulp down two sandwiches and three Cokes.

"Ew," Sadie grimaced.

Carter muttered something under his breath before picking up a sandwich.

"We should leave soon," he said between bites. "I mean...tourists and all."

Bast shook her head. "The Washington Monument closes at six o'clock. The tourists are gone now. We might as well stay the night. If we must travel during the Demon Days, best to do it in daylight hours." Gohan was too busy chomping down to pay attention. After they all finished eating, Carter leaned back against the wall, trying to get some sleep. Gohan couldn't, though. He found himself leaning against the window, looking down at the twinkling lights beneath him.

"So… what's it like?" Gohan turned to see Sadie standing next to him, a curious expression on her face.

"Huh?"

"You know… your world? Your home? The place you came from." Gohan sighed.

"Basically… pretty similar to this one in some ways, but really alien in others. It'd take me weeks to make a list, if you want one." Sadie looked a little annoyed, but accepted this in stride.

"And… there's no way to get back there?"

"Not that I know of yet. I've been searching for six months now." Sadie looked surprised.

"So… you came here without a way of getting back?" Gohan actually chuckled.

"Frankly, Sadie, I didn't exactly come here on purpose. It was… an accident." Gohan decided to sum it up like that. No need to tell them his life story yet. He unconsciously tugged the jacket closer to himself, trying to feel warmer.

"So… why don't you do what you did to get here in the first place, but in reverse?" Gohan had to hold back a chuckle.

"It didn't exactly work like that. I ripped a hole in the dimension between Earths, Sadie. Even if I could replicate it, and I'm not saying I could, gods only know where'd I end up. I'll find a way, eventually." Sadie simply nodded, and said

"But what if you can't?" she turned, strode to the adjacent wall, and sat down. Gohan sighed in frustration as he looked back over the city. He hated to admit it, but Sadie had just vocalized his biggest fear. What if he couldn't get home? Would he be trapped here forever?

A loud purr made Gohan turn to see Bast licking her hand.

"Could you not do that?" he asked. "It's disturbing."

"Oh." She smiled. "Sorry."

"What is that?" Sadie asked.

"The wind?" Gohan was a bit confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Magic energy, boy. Of course you can't sense it. A bit of a two way road in that regard." Bast said. "I told you, this is a powerful monument."

"But it's modern. Like the Louvre pyramid. Why is it magic?" she asked

"The Ancient Egyptians were excellent builders, Sadie. They picked shapes—obelisks, pyramids— that were charged with symbolic magic. An obelisk represents a sunbeam frozen in stone—a life- giving ray from the original king of the gods, Ra. It doesn't matter when the structure was built: it is still Egyptian. That's why any obelisk can be used for opening gates to the Duat, or releasing great beings of power—"

"Or trapping them," Sadie said. "The way you were trapped in Cleopatra's Needle."

Her expression darkened. "I wasn't actually trapped in the obelisk. My prison was a magically created abyss deep in the Duat, and the obelisk was the door your parents used to release me. But, yes. All symbols of Egypt are concentrated nodes of magic power. So an obelisk can definitely be used to imprison gods."

"The magician said you abandoned your post. What did he mean?" Gohan asked.

Carter frowned. "When was this?" Gohan told him what had happened after he had chucked him through the portal.

Bast stacked her empty Friskies cans. She didn't look eager to reply.

"When I was imprisoned," she said at last, "I—I wasn't alone. I was locked inside with a...creature of chaos."

"Is that bad?" Sadie asked.

Judging from Bast's expression, the answer was yes. "Magicians often do this—lock a god up together with a monster so we have no time to try escaping our prison. For eons, I fought this monster. When your parents released me—"

"The monster got out?" Bast hesitated a little too long for Gohan's taste.

"No. My enemy couldn't have escaped." She took a deep breath. "Your mother's final act of magic sealed that gate. The enemy was still inside. But that's what the magician meant. As far as he was concerned, my 'post' was battling that monster forever."

Gohan was about to ask exactly what the monster had been, when Bast stood up.

"I should go scout," she said abruptly. "I'll be back." They listened to her footsteps echo down the stairwell. "She's hiding something," Gohan said.

"Work that out yourself, did you?" Sadie asked.

"It's just...what are we going to do?" Carter asked

"Keep going. What else can we do? Set needs to be stopped." Gohan answered.

Carter picked up his wand and turned it in his fingers. "Do you think he really meant to...you know, bring Mom back?"

"I didn't know your father, Carter. But from what I saw of him, he seemed like a pretty decent guy."

"Iskandar told me something about Mum," Sadie said. "She was a diviner. She could see the future. He said she made him rethink some old ideas." Sadie then talked about her encounter with the old magician, which Gohan found intriguing.

Carter knit his eyebrows. "You think that has something to do with why Mom died—she saw something in the future?"

"I don't know. When they took us to England the last time, did she and Dad seemed like they were in a hurry—like they were doing something really important?"

"Definitely."

"Would you say freeing Bast was really important? I mean—I love her, of course—but worth dying for important?"

Carter hesitated. "Probably not."

"Whatever your parents were doing, it was probably just one step in a much larger plan."

"Well, there you are. I think Dad and Mum were up to something bigger, something they didn't complete. Possibly that's what Dad was after at the British Museum—completing the task, whatever it was. Making things right. And this whole business about our family going back a billion years to some god-hosting pharaohs—why didn't anyone tell us? Why didn't Dad?"

Carter didn't answer for a long time.

"Maybe they were protecting you." Gohan finally answered.

"He has a point. The House of Life doesn't trust our family, especially after what Dad and Mom did. Amos said we were raised apart for a reason, so we wouldn't, like, trigger each other's magic."

"Bloody awful reason to keep us apart," Sadie muttered. She noticed Carter's surprised expression, and rushed on.

"I just mean they should've been honest," she rushed on. "Not that I wanted more time with my annoying brother, of course."

He nodded seriously. "Of course."

"At least you have a brother." Gohan interrupted. They awkwardly sat there silently for a few minutes.

"Is your, um..." Carter tapped the side of my head. "Your friend being any help?"

"Not much," he admitted.

"Yours?" Carter shook my head.

"Carter, are you scared?"

"A little." He dug his wand into the carpet. "No, a lot."

"So… what's it like? Hosting a god?" Gohan asked curiously. They both glared at him.

"Weird." Sadie admitted.

"Try having a voice whispering in your head, all the time. Goading you to them take control. It's a little unnerving." Gohan nodded at that.

"I know the feeling. Keeping all my power bottled up is a challenge sometimes. I just want to let it all out."

Gohan looked at the blue book they'd stolen—pages full of wonderful secrets he couldn't read. "What if we can't do it?" Sadie asked

"I don't know," Carter said. "That book about mastering the element of cheese would've been more helpful."

"Or summoning fruit bats." Gohan joked

"Please, not the fruit bats."

They shared a weary smile, and it felt rather good.

"Why don't you sleep on it?" he suggested. "You guys used a lot of energy today. I'll keep watch until Bast gets back."

"All right, then," Sadie said. "Don't let the bedbugs bite." Gohan chuckled as he looked back out the window.

"I'll get back. Somehow." He whispered under his breath.


	21. Monumental Trouble

Gohan didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he was woken up by a massive roar, causing him to yelp and slip back, landing on his back with a loud crunch.

"OW!" Sadie and Carter raced over him to the small window and peered down. Gohan groaned as he sat up and joined them, looking down. He was met with a very disturbing sight.

"What… is that?"

"The Set animal," Bast answered.

Far below, the creature prowled the base of the monument, leaving tracks in the new-fallen snow. Gohan had trouble judging its size, but it must've been at least as big as a horse, with legs just as long. It had an unnaturally lean, muscled body with shiny reddish gray fur. You could almost mistake it for a huge greyhound—except for the tail and the head. The tail was reptilian, forked at the end with triangular points, like squid tentacles. It lashed around as if it had a mind of its own. The creature's head was the strangest part. Its oversize ears stuck straight up like rabbit ears, but they were shaped more like ice cream cones, curled inward and wider on the top than the bottom. They could rotate almost three hundred and sixty degrees, so they could hear anything. The creature's snout was long and curved like an anteater's—only anteaters don't have razor-sharp teeth.

"I really can't catch a break, can I?"

"No." Sadie answered, getting an annoyed glare from Gohan.

"I was being sarcastic."

"And I was shutting up your stupid statement."

"Guys? Argue later, focus on monster now." Carter interrupted.

"Its eyes are glowing," Gohan said. "That can't be good."

"Amen to that." Carter added.

"How can you see that far?" Sadie demanded.

She stood next to them, squinting at the tiny figure in the snow.

"That's the benefit of having an alien dad with heightened senses. Genetics rule."

"You still have the sight of the falcon, Carter." Bast guessed. "And you're right, Carter. The glowing eyes mean the creature has caught our scent."

Carter looked at her and almost jumped out of his skin. Her hair was sticking straight up all over her head, like she'd stuck her finger in a light socket.

"Given that you're clearly scared of that Set animal down there, I'm going to assume that this thing is extremely dangerous." Bast glared at him, but didn't answer.

"How do we get out of here?" Sadie asked.

"You don't understand," Bast said. "The Set animal is the perfect hunter. If it has our scent, there is no stopping it."

"Why is it called the 'Set animal'?" she asked nervously. "Doesn't it have a name?"

"If it did," Bast said, "you would not want to speak it. It is merely known as the Set animal—the Red Lord's symbolic creature. It shares his strength, cunning...and his evil nature."

"Lovely," Sadie said.

The animal sniffed at the monument and recoiled, snarling.

"It doesn't seem to like the obelisk," Gohan noticed.

"No," Bast said. "Too much Ma'at energy. But that won't hold it back for long."

As if on cue, the Set animal leaped onto the side of the monument. It began climbing like a lion scaling a tree, digging its claws into the stone.

"That's messed up," Carter said. "Elevator or stairs?" "Both are too slow," Bast said. "Back away from the window."

She unsheathed her knives and sliced through the glass. She punched out the window, setting off alarm bells. Freezing air blasted into the observation room. Gohan flinched as he covered his eyes,

"You all need to fly," Bast yelled over the wind. "It's the only way." "No!" Sadie's face went pale. "Not the kite again." "Sadie, it's okay," I said. She shook her head, terrified.

Carter grabbed her hand. "I'll stay with you. I'll make sure you turn back."

"The Set animal is halfway up," Bast warned. "We're running out of time."

"Hang on, I'll cover us!" Then, without any warning, Gohan grabbed the top of the window and pulled himself out, gripping the stone wall for support. The Set monster screeched as it saw Gohan and tore up the side of the monument. Gohan smirked as he raised his hand, forming a bright yellow ball in his hand.

"Batter up!" He hurled the ball, which slammed into the creature and burst into a large orange explosion, which sent the Set animal tumbling off the side. But then, it managed to drive its claws into the side, managing to stop itself from slamming into the ground. It looked up at Gohan and let out another massive roar as it resumed climbing up. Gohan sighed.

"Okay then…" He let go of his hand-made perch and raced down the side of the monument, slamming his feet into the monster's face, which sent them both flying into the ground with a massive crash. The creature burst into smoke, covering Gohan in a thick cloud.

"Seriously?" Sadie yelped as the room shook.

"A brave boy… foolish, but brave." Bast admitted.

"He must really want to die." Sadie added as she peeped out the side of the window. A second later, she yelped as Gohan swung in, a grin on his face as he landed on his feet. Sadie blushed as she turned away, though she did snicker.

"What happened to your shirt?" Gohan blinked as he patted his chest, realizing that his robes were shredded.

"Hey, at least I took care of it." Bast hissed as she shook her head.

"No. You has only delayed it. The Set animal is immortal. It will regain its form. Soon." Gohan frowned.

"Seriously? I was hoping for centuries. Or a thousand years. Isn't that how it usually goes?" she shook her head.

"Oh."

"You all must go. Now. I'll distract the animal."

Sadie glanced at Bast. "What about you? You can't fly."

"I'll jump," she said. "Cats always land on their feet."

"It's over a hundred meters!" Sadie cried.

"A hundred and seventy," Bast said. "I'll distract the Set animal, buy you some time."

"You'll be killed." Sadie's voice sounded close to breaking. "Please, I can't lose you too."

Bast looked a little surprised. Then she smiled and put her hand on Sadie's shoulder. "I'll be fine, dear. Meet me at Reagan National, terminal A. Be ready to run. Keep them safe, boy."

Before anyone could argue, Bast jumped past Gohan out the window. She plummeted straight toward the pavement but as she fell she spread her arms and legs and seemed to relax.

Bast hit the ground with both feet and took off running. She must've been doing sixty miles an hour, easy. She took off down the street, quickly fading into the distance.

"She won't make it," Sadie fretted.

"Never bet against a cat," Carter said. "We've got to do our part." Gohan butted in at that point.

"Come on. Sadie, I'll help you." Gohan held his hand out. Sadie snorted in annoyance.

"Seriously? You gonna wisk me up like a cheesy Disney Princess?"

"It's me or becoming a bird again."

She took a deep breath. "All right. Before I change my mind." She took his hand, and yelped as Gohan wrapped his hands around her. Sadie yelped as her face turned red.

"Dude! A few inches lower?" Carter groaned. Gohan blinked in confusion.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Carter groaned in exasperation.

"You gonna change or not?" Carter grumbled, but willed himself to become a falcon. It was even easier than before.

A moment later, they soared into the cold morning air over Washington, D.C. Sadie yelped as she clutched onto Gohan for dear life and clenched her eyes shut.

"You okay?" Gohan laughed.

"Tell me when we land! How do you do this all the time?" she screamed over the sound of rushing wind.

"You get used to it."

"Nope! Never! Not as this or a bird!" Gohan simply chuckled.

Finding the airport was easy. Reagan National was so close, Gohan could see the planes landing across the Potomac. Carter kept close, making screeching noises every now and then. He almost drifted off a few times, but always seemed to snap himself back.

Finally, they reached the airport, and started hunting for a place to land. After all, Gohan couldn't simply float down to the main gate, not to mention Carter transforming back to human. Thus, they landed at the top of a parking garage. Gohan had to admit, it was kinda hilarious to look at Sadie clutching his chest like a teddy bear.

"Sadie, we're on the ground. You can let go now." Sadie slowly opened her eyes and glanced around. Once she was sure she was on solid ground, she let go of Gohan and landed on her two shaky feet.

"You okay?" Gohan asked. Sadie was a bit green in the face.

"Y-yeah. Just a little airsick…"

A loud popping echoed through the air as Carter reappeared next to Gohan.

"You okay? It took you a little while there." Carter nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sadie?"

"I'm fine. I just spent the last fifteen minutes clutched onto this perv." Gohan groaned in exasperation.

"Why do you hate me?"

"Come on," Carter said. "Let's find Bast."

They walked to the elevator. A businessman with a rolling suitcase was waiting by the doors. His eyes widened when he saw them. To be fair, they did look like a bit of a sight: a tall black kid, a British punk girl and a musclebound boy with a fur belt, dressed in dirty, ragged Egyptian clothes. Not to mention the weird box tucked under Carter's arm.

"How's it going?" Carter said.

"Hi." Gohan waved.

"I'll take the stairs." He hurried off.

The elevator took them to the ground level, and crossed to the departures curb. Carter looked around desperately, hoping to see Bast, but instead caught the attention of a curbside policeman. The guy frowned and started lumbering in their direction.

"Oh brilliant. Cops."

"Last thing we need right now."

"Stay calm, you two." Carter ordered. Resisting the urge to run, they turned and walked through the revolving doors. To be fair, they all had had bad run-ins with the police before. Gohan still remembered how cumbersome cops had been during his first quest with Percy and Annabeth. The problems was always the same: obviously, a group of kids with no parents around were obviously up to no good. They had to disappear, but that was easier said than done.

It was Christmas vacation, so the airport was pretty full—mostly families standing in line at the ticket counters, kids arguing and parents labeling luggage. Gohan was actually in awe, to be honest. He had never seen an airport before in his life. No need for an airplane when you could fly. He wondered what that would be like: a normal family trip, no magic problems or monsters chasing you.

Stop it, Gohan told himself. You've got work to do. Stay on focus. They had to get to Thoth. Stop Set. Frankly, if Gohan had been by himself, he would have simply flown straight to Nashville. But Carter and Sadie complicated things. Not to mention the House of Life and their new psycho leader. The last thing he needed was the House of Life storming the camp. It would turn into a bloodbath.

"You there." They turned. It was the police officer from outside. Sadie squeaked nervously. The cop looked at them warily, resting his hand on his nightstick.

"Where are your parents, kids? And where's his shirt?" he asked.

"In the bathroom. Mom and dad asked us all to get in line." Sadie lied.

"I have tickets..." Carter reached into his pockets, then remembered that Bast had their tickets.

"You're all related?" The cop asked, his face clearly indicating he didn't believe that. Carter and Sadie were both annoyed by that. While it was plausible that Sadie and Gohan could claim to be related, no one ever believed Carter and Sadie were related, which had been something bothering them their entire lives.

The cop scowled. "You'd better come with me."

Suddenly a woman's voice called: "There you all are!"

Bast was hurrying over, pushing her way through the crowd.

Somehow she'd managed to change clothes. She wore a rose-colored pantsuit, lots of gold jewelry, and a cashmere coat, so she looked like a wealthy businesswoman. Ignoring the cop, she sized up Carter's appearance and wrinkled her nose. "Carter, I told you not to wear those horrible clothes. Sadie, what happened to your hair? And Gohan, where's your shirt?" Gohan blinked. "Honestly! You look like you've been sleeping in the wild!"

She took out a handkerchief and made a big production of wiping Carter's face, while the policeman stared.

"Uh, ma'am," he finally managed. "Are your—"

"Niece and nephew, and their best friend." Bast lied. "I'm so sorry, officer. We're heading to Memphis for a… weightlifting competition. I hope they hasn't caused any problems. We're going to miss our flight!"

The officer shuffled nervously.

"Miss, they just said that they're all related…"

"Of course! Carter hangs out with them so much that everyone thinks they're family!" The officer looked conflicted.

"Well, if you'll excuse us, officer. That's a very handsome uniform, by the way. Do you work out?" Before he could respond, Bast grabbed my arm and hurried me toward the security checkpoint. "Don't look back," she said under her breath.

As soon as they turned the corner, Bast pulled them aside by the vending machines.

"The Set animal is close," she said. "We've got a few minutes at best." Gohan sighed in exasperation.

"That was fast. We can't exactly fight it here, surrounded by all these people."

"Well, we'll have to figure it out on the plane."

"How did you change clothes?" Carter asked.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, mortal minds are weak. My clothes haven't really changed. It's just a glamour."

Gohan looked at her more closely, and he saw she was right. Her new clothes flickered like a mirage over her usual leopard-skin bodysuit. As soon as she pointed it out, the magic seemed flimsy and obvious. Or maybe that was just due to the fact that since Gohan was an Otherworlder, magic, like the Mist, didn't work on him like normal people in the world, or even demigods like Percy.

"We'll try to make it to the gate before the Set animal," she said. "It will be easier if you stow your things in the Duat."

"What?"

"You don't really want to tote that box around under your arm, do you? Use the Duat as a storage bin."

"How?" Bast rolled her eyes. "Honestly, what do they teach magicians these days?"

"We had about twenty seconds of training!" "Just imagine a space in the air, like a shelf or a treasure chest—" "A locker?" Carter asked. "I've never had a school locker."

"Fine. Give it a combination lock—anything you want. Imagine opening the locker with your combination. Then shove the box inside. When you need it again, just call it to mind, and it will appear."

Carter looked baffled, but held out his dad's magic box and let it go, sure it would smash to the floor. Instead, the box disappeared. Gohan let out a whistle of surprise.

"Cool," Sadie said. "Are you sure I can get it back?" "No," Bast said. "Now, come on!"


End file.
